Right in Front of Me
by orangeiguanas4
Summary: They have all ventured out on their own paths after high school, but Quinn and Rachel are desperately trying to hold onto their new found affections despite the distance..
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Quinn was sitting on top of her duffel bag, trying to coax the zipper into closing despite having way overstuffed it. She knew tomorrow her friends would groan and roll their eyes when they saw how much she had packed, but Quinn couldn't help it. She liked to make sure she had an outfit for every possible occasion, and it was hard to do that when she didn't have access to her full wardrobe hanging in her walk-in closet. The zipper finally gave in and stretched over her bulging pile of clothes. She sighed with relief and brushed her hair out of her face. She grabbed her cell phone from her desk and quickly typed out a message to Rachel.

**I finally defeated the duffel bag and I didn't have to take anything out to get it to close!**

Rachel answered almost immediately.

**You're so ridiculous sometimes, Q. Do you really need 2 huge bags? We're only gonna be away for a week.**

Quinn could picture Rachel's serious face frowning at how impractical Quinn could be.

**A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. I'll see you in the morning, Rach :)**

**Night, Q.**

Quinn saw that it was already almost midnight. She had probably disturbed Rachel's perfectly timed sleep schedule. It made her smile to think that she didn't find Rachel's rigid schedules and plans nearly as annoying as she once did. She would have never guessed that Rachel Berry would grow into her best friend over such a short time, but she had. Quinn washed up and climbed into her bed. Her stomach fluttered with excitement for tomorrow.

They had waited all summer for this trip. They planned it for so late into the summer for a reason. In two weeks, they would all be heading their separate ways. The eight of them wanted to make sure that they got to spend a carefree week together before they all headed out for what the future held. Santana and Brittany would be heading to Los Angeles. Santana was going to UCLA and Brittany had gotten a gig as a dancer. Finn was going to boot camp for the Army. Puck was starting at the community college in Lima to get a business degree and really expand his already growing pool cleaning gig. Kurt and Rachel would be heading for New York City for acting school. And Quinn, well she was headed to New Haven to pursue English and Dramatic Arts at Yale. It seemed like yesterday they were all sitting in the choir room not giving a second thought to their futures and now they were actually splitting up to follow their respective dreams. Still thinking about her friends and Yale, Quinn drifted off to sleep.

Her alarm went off at 8 and Quinn sprung out of bed. She had always been a morning person. Plus, she was way too excited to sleep any longer. She took a quick shower and pulled a sundress out of her closet. It was the one that she had bought at the beginning of the summer with Rachel. Rachel had noticed it first and exclaimed immediately that Quinn had to get it. Quinn was usually weary of Rachel's fashion sense, but this dress was one item they actually agreed on. It brought out the hazel of Quinn's eyes and looked great with her bronzed summer skin. She blew her hair dry and threw on some light makeup. Grabbing her cell phone, she realized she only had 10 minutes until the girls would be there to pick her up.

Quinn lugged her heavy bags one by one down stairs and dropped them by the front door. She said good morning to her mom and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the island, taking a big bite. Her mom looked disapprovingly at the juice dripping down her chin and Quinn wiped it hastily before her mom had time to comment and ruin her good mood. As if on cue, the doorbell rang and she could hear the girls loudly chatting on her front porch. She rang and swung the door open, grinning widely at her best friends in the world. They groaned and complained as they helped Quinn with her heavy bags, just like she knew they would. A few minutes later, Quinn called goodbye through to her mother and hopped into the backseat of Santana's SUV with Rachel.

Less than five minutes into the journey, the girls were already singing at the top of their lungs. Santana had made a playlist on her iPod for the journey full of their favorite songs. They belted them out until their voices were turning hoarse. The three hour ride flew by and before they knew it they were pulling into a gravel driveway leading up to an adorable wooden cabin overlooking the lake. They piled out of the SUV and grabbed their bags. Excitement overtook them and they lugged their stuff as fast as they could manage. Rachel extracted the key and turned it in the lock, letting them inside.

The inside of the house was just as perfect. It was comfortable and rustic and it had a great view of the lake out of the front windows. Santana and Brittany dropped their stuff, shouting about finding the best bedroom. They bounded up the steps, arms around one another. Quinn turned to Rachel, a huge smile on her face.

"This is awesome, Rach. You picked the perfect place." Quinn said sincerely. Rachel beamed at her, obviously pleased that Quinn liked it.

"It is exactly what I imagined a lake cabin to look like. I must say I am pleased with the choice as well." Rachel said, grinning wide at Quinn. "Let's pick a room before the boys arrive and Puck tries to room with one of us instead." Quinn laughed and nodded in agreement and they headed upstairs to scope out the bedrooms.

In the second one, Quinn sighed with the sight of perfection. The queen bed faced a large sliding door. It led onto an expansive wooden deck that overlooked the shimmering lake.

"This one is heaven!" she breathed, collapsing onto the bed. Rachel skipped forward and jumped onto the bed next to Quinn. The girls laid with their heads against one another, content with the silence. The peacefulness of the cabin was bliss.

A few minutes later, their peace was interrupted to the sound of the boys arrival as they yelled hello from the doorway of the cabin. Quinn and Rachel ran to go meet them. Finn and Puck had packed light, most of their baggage being beer and food. Kurt and Blaine's pile of bags looked more like Quinn's. Rachel was hugging Kurt and Blaine. Quinn grinned at the guys. She was so relaxed and happy that she just couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She helped Puck carry the cases of beer to the fridge. Behind her, she heard Santana and Brittany make their entrance. One glance at them made it obvious that they had been breaking in their vacation room. Santana's shiny dark hair was ruffled and her cheeks flushed. She was gazing lovingly at Brittany, who was wrapped in a hug with Blaine.

After the boys threw their bags in their rooms, with Puck immediately trying to weasel his way into Quinn and Rachel's bed rather than taking the top bunk in a room with Finn, they unpacked the food in the kitchen. Santana and Puck grabbed a handful of beers and wine coolers and they headed out onto the front porch. The late afternoon sun shone lazily off the surface of the glimmering lake. The warm summer breeze rustled the leaves of the huge trees. The friends were talking animatedly, enjoying the freedom and the cold drinks. Quinn watched Brittany run her fingers along Santana's bare shoulder softly, seeing the love emanating from them. Kurt was sitting on the ground, leaning back onto Blaine's legs. Puck had shaved his head completely again and was shirtless, showing off his deeply tanned chest. Finn wasn't as scrawny anymore either. Quinn knew he had been training for boot camp. His shoulders had really filled out in the past couple of months.

The biggest change was in Rachel, however. She was sitting on the old rocking chair, bare feet tucked under her. Quinn remembered the day Rachel had bought that dress. It was one of the first shopping trips that she had invited Rachel to join her, Santana, and Brittany on. She remembered how awkward Rachel had been. She was obviously scared to point out any article of clothing with the fear of the girls ridiculing her terrible fashion sense. She walked quietly next to Quinn as Quinn rifled through the racks. In one of the last stores, Quinn had pulled the dress off the rack and held it out to Rachel, insisting that she try it on. Rachel reluctantly agreed. She emerged self-consciously from the dressing room after Santana threatened to go in and pull her out. Quinn remembered admiring her handiwork. Rachel looked stunning. The scoop neck sundress hugged Rachel's delicate curves. It was bright and set off her olive skin and dark features. Quinn convinced her to buy it despite Rachel's pleas that it was too short and that it didn't look good on her. But Rachel was wrong, it was stunning on her, especially with her August tan and her dark hair falling over her shoulders.

Rachel caught Quinn's eyes. Quinn blushed having been caught staring at her friend. However, Rachel just gave her a sheepish grin. She could tell that Rachel was having the time of her life.

It seemed like the day just melted away in a blur. Quinn vaguely remembered them having a great barbeque for dinner. Now they found themselves lounging by the edge of the lake as the sun went down. The sky was full of pink and orange hues that were reflected in the calm surface of the lake. Puck had dragged a cooler down with them and they were all starting to get a good buzz. Quinn couldn't remember the last time she felt so content in her life. All of the worries she had about Yale were far away. They watched the sun set behind the edge of the trees, their arms around one another with their feet in the cool sand.

As dusk fully took over, they sauntered back up to the house and settled into the living room. They put a movie in the DVD player and sprawled out across the room. Rachel was curled on the couch with her head in Quinn's lap. Quinn was still getting used to the affectionate side of Rachel. She didn't think twice about giving a hug or leaning against Quinn's shoulder. Quinn stroked the long brown hair that spilled into her lap, finding the warmth of Rachel against her soothing. She could see Finn and Puck getting progressively drunk on the other couch, having made a drinking game out of the movie. Kurt's cheeks were flushed from the alcohol and she could see Blaine's protective arm linked in Kurt's. On the floor, they ignored the muffled kissing of Santana and Brittany. Every once in a while they came up for air and Brittany would comment on the movie until Santana pulled her in again. The whole day made Quinn feel so nostalgic. She couldn't have imagined a more perfect way to end the summer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As soon as the credits began to roll, Puck exclaimed that it was his turn to pick an activity. Of course, his first choice was spin the bottle.

"Puck, stop being so juvenile" shot Santana.

"Hey, if I have to share a room with Finn instead of a couple of fine ladies, I should at least get to have some action to keep me warm tonight," said Puck, smiling seductively at Rachel. Rachel blushed scarlet, but agreed. Despite the moaning from Santana, they all ended up giving in, the buzz from the alcohol getting the best of them. Puck grabbed one of his empty bottles from a nearby table and they assembled in a circle on the living room floor.

The first couple of rounds were mild. Finn got a civil kiss from Quinn and Brittany laid a wet one on Blaine. Puck had rigged one to land on Rachel so that he could kiss her, but gave her a very gentle peck, before offering her the bottle to spin. Rachel's spin landed directly on Santana. Quinn braced herself for Santana's wrath.

"I'm hard to resist, Berry, you better put your guard up." Quinn's jaw nearly hit the floor. Santana had become nicer to Rachel over the past few months, but she still made a point to take her digs and keep Rachel at arm's length. And now all of a sudden she was willing to kiss her in front of her friends and girlfriend. Santana leaned across the circle and pulled Rachel towards her. It was the longest kiss so far. She even saw their lips part a little bit before Puck whistled and Santana pulled away gruffly. Quinn's head seemed so fuzzy. Why did she have a knot in her stomach from watching Rachel kiss Santana?

Her thoughts were still elsewhere when Rachel spun and landed on Finn. Rachel caught Quinn's eye with concern. Rachel had broken up with Finn on civil terms, figuring that their separate futures would have ruined them anyway. Rachel had discussed it with Quinn extensively beforehand and afterwards, but Quinn always felt like Rachel could do better than Finn anyway. She glanced at Finn and could tell he was nervous but glad for the opportunity to kiss his latest ex-girlfriend.

Rachel let him lean over to her. They kissed for a few moments, but she pulled away faster from Finn than she had with Santana. That confused Quinn even more. She knew that it was probably hard for Rachel to contain her feelings for Finn if they were being physical again, but she seemed to enjoy Santana's kiss much more than Finn's. Finn looked a little hurt, but grabbed the bottle, spun, and landed on Brittany. Brittany wasted no time in putting her mouth to his and only stopped when Santana physically pulled her back away from him.

Brittany grabbed the bottle and landed on Santana. Santana's eyes lit up and they started making out feverishly. Puck was egging them on, but finally Blaine and Kurt jumped on them to interrupt in a fit of giggles. Quinn realized that her beer was empty and grabbed another one, cracked it open and took a big swig as Santana spun the bottle at her feet.

Quinn nearly choked when it landed on her. Unlike Santana and Brittany, Quinn and Santana had always been completely platonic. Besides letting Puck knock her up, Quinn really had been quite the prude throughout high school and did her best to stick to her family's conservative views. She had avoided these situations in high school and had never even considered kissing another girl.

She knew she was blushing furiously. The voices around her seemed muffled until she heard Rachel.

"Q, Santana was correct in stating that she is a talented kisser. You won't be disappointed."

Santana looked dumbfounded at Rachel. Having no idea what to say, she turned to Quinn. "It's time you break out of that little innocent box, Fabray. You would have thought the whole baby thing would have kicked the prude out of you."

Despite the hard exterior, Quinn could see the calming reassurance in Santana's eyes. Quinn let Santana move until she was kneeling right in front of her. Santana put her hand under Quinn's chin and pulled her face towards her. Quinn didn't resist, but her heart was pounding and she could feel how hot her cheeks were. Santana's lips met hers and Quinn was surprised at how soft and inviting they were. She figured most girls probably felt like that. Rachel was right though, Santana was a good kisser. After a few minutes, Santana released her chin and pulled away.

"Now that Fabray's lesbian cherry is popped, let's go." Said Santana simply, handing the bottle to Quinn. She spun it tentatively and was relieved to have landed on Blaine.

A few more rounds ensued, but Finn finally cut the game off after Rachel made out pretty heavily with Puck. Quinn was exhausted and it seemed like most of the others were as well. They headed up to their bedrooms, Puck still trying to convince Quinn to switch rooms with him.

"Goodnight, Noah," said Quinn with a smile. He pecked her on the cheek and followed Finn down the hall. Rachel was standing at the bathroom mirror brushing her teeth. Quinn grabbed her toothbrush and joined her at the other sink. They got ready for bed together. Quinn noticed how easily they coexisted. She thought about Yale and hoped that she got a roommate that she fit with as much as she did with Rachel.

When they were washed up and changed, Quinn opened the sliding door and went out onto the balcony. Rachel followed her and the two girls stood at the railing of the balcony looking out over the water with no light besides the moon. Rachel leaned her head on Quinn's shoulder and Quinn leaned her head against hers.

"I'm so happy, Quinn," Rachel said quietly.

"Me too, Rach, me too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The sun was shining brightly through the glass door when Quinn awoke the next morning. The other half of the bed was empty already. Rachel couldn't help but wake up extra early, even when on vacation. Quinn pulled herself up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. The clock told her it was almost 9. She took a quick shower and immediately put on her swimsuit and her favorite cotton dress so she could head down to the lake as soon as she finished breakfast.

Downstairs, she found a full pot of steaming coffee awaiting her. Rachel was sitting on the back patio on a lounge chair, a cup of coffee in one hand and a magazine in the other. Quinn was so used to Rachel being stressed all the time that she looked different to Quinn when she was actually allowing herself to be calm. Quinn filled a mug for herself headed outside to join her best friend.

Rachel turned at the sound of the back door and smiled at Quinn. She was wearing her jogging attire and glistened with the sweat of an early morning run. Quinn should have guessed that Rachel couldn't let go of all the routines she had at home. She sat on the edge of Rachel's chair, cupping her mug in her hands and enjoying the warm sunshine on her shoulders.

"You were up early." Quinn commented to Rachel.

"I managed to sleep until 7:30, but I felt guilty when I woke up and knew I wasn't going to do my normal morning exercise routine. But there is an excellent running trail through the woods here so I figured I'd run until the rest of you woke up." Stated Rachel matter-of-factly.

Quinn giggled. Rachel was definitely not a natural at relaxing. "Well, how about you show me the trail tomorrow morning?"

"I cannot waiver from my pace, Quinn. But if you are willing to run at my pace, then I would love to have you join me."

"Your pace it is then, Berry."

The door opened behind her and she turned to see Blaine and Kurt carrying mugs of coffee, already fully dressed for a day at the water. They pulled up seats and said good morning to the girls.

"What are your plans for the day?" asked Blaine.

"I would love to just throw a towel down by the water and enjoy the sun with a good book and my iPod." Answered Quinn.

"How 'bout you, Rach?" asked Blaine.

"I think I am going to try to relax like Quinn suggested," stated Rachel, glancing at Quinn for approval to join her.

"That's what our plan is too. You girls want to pack up the small cooler and we'll leave the sleeping beauties a note so they can meet up with us later?"

"Sounds perfect," said Quinn, pulling herself to her feet and headed into the house.

Half an hour later, the four of them had a cooler full of water and snacks and were carrying their tote bags with their beach accessories. Kurt had scribbled a note for the others and left it next to the coffee pot. They walked the short distance to the sand and set up their towels once Rachel finally selected the perfect spot.

Quinn immediately pulled her dress over her head, exposing her bright pink bikini. It was one that she had bought with Santana the week before.

"Damn, Quinn! If I were straight, I would be all over you right now!" exclaimed Kurt, giggling.

Quinn glanced down at herself. Her skin was a deep bronze from the hours spent by her pool with her friends this summer. The senior year Cheerio abs and toned legs were still clearly visible. She noticed the small white stretch marks on her hips that had developed on her hips during the pregnancy, but she didn't disagree with Kurt. Her body definitely had recovered well from having the baby.

Quinn looked up to catch Rachel staring at her. She blushed deeply and turned away quickly. It had made Quinn flush to catch Rachel taking in her body so she busied herself with getting her towel and book out of her bulging tote. Rachel settled down a foot from her, pulling her towel and her iPod out of her own bag and put a pair of dark sunglasses over her eyes before laying down in her own flattering bikini. Quinn put her sunglasses on too and stole a glance at Rachel. The bikini was a familiar one. It was one Rachel had gotten at the beginning of the summer and had worn by Quinn's pool a hundred times. But her abs were slightly flexed the way she was laying and her deep olive skin was shimmering with the dried sweat from her morning run. Quinn couldn't believe that she had never noticed that under the animal sweaters and the knee socks that Rachel Berry had a truly amazing body.

Around noon, the other 4 finally joined them. Santana's usual smirk was replaced with a grin, Brittany's hand in hers as they walked. Puck was already shirtless and carried nothing but a towel and a football. As soon as they said hello, him and Finn walked further down and began tossing the ball back and forth between them, occasionally splashing on the edge of the lake. Santana tossed her towel down next to Quinn and immediately stripped to her bikini as well. Quinn took in Santana's beautiful Latina skin. She was wearing a bikini that Quinn had never seen before and it fit her perfectly. Just as she was about to continue reading her book, Santana caught her eye and the smirk returned to her face.

"Just because you got a taste of Santana last night totally does not mean you have a chance with this," said Santana, gesturing down her long, toned body. Quinn's cheeks flushed again and Santana laughed at her own joke. Quinn could tell she didn't mean it seriously, but did Santana know how eye opening that their kiss had been? She had never realized that girls were so much better at kissing than guys. She tried to return to her book, but she just stared at the page blankly, thinking about last night.

A few minutes later, Quinn gave up pretending that she was getting anywhere in her book and sprung up instead.

"Does anybody want to go into the water with me?" she asked her friends. The boys were laying with their heads close together, each wearing an earbud. Brittany and Santana were nearly laying on top of one another as they read the same magazine. Only Rachel seemed interested and she tossed her iPod back into her bag and followed Quinn to the water.

The sand was hot from the blazing sun and Quinn ran for the water's edge and splashed through the cool water up to her knees before she turned to look for Rachel. Rachel was standing up to her ankles in the water, slowly wading over to Quinn. Quinn waded out further, making Rachel chase her. Rachel was complaining good naturedly about the cold water but she kept going until Quinn let her catch up. She grabbed Quinn by her hips so that she couldn't take off again. Quinn got chills up her spine. Why did it suddenly feel like Rachel had electricity in her fingers where they dug into Quinn's side?

Quinn dove under to break away from Rachel's grip and popped up a few feet away. The girls splashed and laughed and dove around one another. When their stomachs started growling, they headed to the shore to join the others for lunch. They sat on the warm sand with their friends, letting the sun dry them. Quinn was quiet, thinking about the feeling Rachel's hands had given her in the water. She didn't know what had gotten into her, but she was grateful that Rachel didn't seem to notice that anything was bothering her.

They cleaned up their lunch and the boys decided to head back up to the house for a while. Brittany and Rachel wanted to tan, but Quinn was still restless. Santana seemed antsy too, so Quinn convinced her to take a walk along the lakefront with her. They waved their goodbyes to the other girls and strolled away.

Quinn and Santana hadn't spent much time alone lately. Since her and Brittany had started dating, their trio seemed different. But they were still steadfast friends. Santana was Quinn's oldest friend and the person that knew her better than anyone else.

"What's up with you, Q?" Santana asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"What do you mean?" Quinn responded evasively.

"You know exactly what I mean. You've been totally weird since spin the bottle last night." Santana said bluntly. She never had been one for sensitivity.

"I'm fine. I just didn't sleep too well last night." Quinn answered, hoping Santana would drop it.

"That's bullshit, Q. Something's going on up there," said Santana, flicking Quinn in the temple. "Does this have anything to do with kissing me last night?"

"I don't know. Life just seems to be changing so quickly." Quinn really wasn't sure what was going on in her head.

"Well it's totally normal to be turned on, whether you're kissing a guy or a girl. Don't kill yourself over it. I know that you've always been Ms. Prude Celibacy Club President, minus that whole knocked up incident. But seriously, the world didn't collapse overnight because you enjoyed a few minutes in heaven with THE Santana Lopez."

Quinn couldn't help but laugh at her oldest friend. She knew that Santana was worried about it, but she definitely dealt with being supportive in her own way.

"You and Britt seem to be doing really well," Quinn commented casually, pulling the focus off of her.

"Yeah, things have been great. Better than I could ever have imagined. I can't believe we move into our apartment in L.A. in 2 weeks."

"That's awesome, Santana. Just try to not beat up every person that looks at her when you get there!" joked Quinn, linking her arm through Santana's.

They headed back to the towels and saw Brittany and Rachel sitting talking. Santana walked up behind Brittany and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, planting a kiss on the blonde's head. She winked at Quinn and Quinn stuck her tongue out at her. Quinn settled down on Rachel's towel next to her. She could see Santana's smitten look, still amazed that her most badass friend had such a soft side when it came to Brittany.

The girls sat talking and laughing, reminiscing about high school. There were a lot of Cheerio memories, but despite all odds, they all realized that their favorite memories came from glee club, not from their cheerleading practices. Every once in a while, they would break into song, remembering a particular performance of them all happily dancing around the choir room with no worries in the world.

"Remember when you wanted to have my nose?" Quinn asked Rachel with a huge grin.

"Well you do have the nicest nose in Lima. But I guess you were afraid of there being two noses that nice in Lima because you made me truly feel like I was pretty for the first time in my life." Rachel was staring intently into Quinn's eyes and Quinn was flushed from the sudden change in tone.

"You are beautiful. I'm sorry we made you feel any differently throughout high school." Quinn's voice came out barely louder than a whisper. She could see Rachel's insecurities shining out of her. Without thinking, she leaned over and took Rachel's hand in hers. She felt the electricity shoot into her hand where she was making contact with Rachel again.

"Now that you guys are making me sick, I'm heading back up to the house." Santana grabbed her stuff and started walking back up to the house, Brittany right behind her.

"We should get back too." Rachel said, pulling her hand from Quinn's and getting her stuff together. Quinn sighed lightly and did the same. The girls walked silently back up to the cabin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Puck's evening plans involved drinking games instead of kissing games tonight. Within an hour, the card game had gotten everybody good and buzzed. They were getting more and more rowdy as the moments passed. Quinn was used to being at big high school parties from her Cheerio days. She had never been a huge drinker, but she would enjoy a few beers to get a buzz that would be enough to calm down an emotionally wrecked Santana after she found Brittany with whoever she was making out with that night.

While this was definitely a mild night in comparison, Quinn could see that Rachel wasn't used to that scene. The eight of them with a fridge full of booze was a new novelty to her. The couple of wine coolers she had chugged during the game had made Rachel's cheeks bright pink. Her voice had gotten louder and she kept laughing at everything.

Quinn was getting pretty drunk herself. She usually cut herself off at the first signs of numbness in her lips, but tonight it didn't seem important. She was surrounded by the people she cared about the most. She wasn't feel insecure enough to make out with one of her ex-boyfriends. She was relaxed enough for once to enjoy the soothing effects the beer had on her brain after all the of the mixed up thoughts she had been having.

Eventually the game died out and they sat around the table talking for what seemed like hours. They all laughed about the past and how glad they were to be leaving Lima in a couple of weeks.

Quinn couldn't remember the last time that life felt so perfect. Things had been so fucked up during high school. She hated that she had spent so much time being a miserable bitch. But Beth had changed everything for her. It was a careless, stupid mistake to sleep with Puck and the pregnancy and then giving her up was horrible. Quinn couldn't help but be glad for the good that came out of it all. If it hadn't happened, she probably would have never stopped being the bitchy cheerleading captain who cared more about her image than about other people. And she would have most definitely never been best friends with Rachel Berry.

Until Quinn's pregnancy was revealed, Rachel Berry was just an annoying girl that was trying to steal Quinn's boyfriend. Despite Quinn being a major bitch to her, Rachel was one of the few people that were there for Quinn during her pregnancy. After Beth was born, Quinn was glad that she had kept up her growing friendship instead of falling back into being the bitch she had once been.

"Fabray, get out of dreamland." Santana's voice shook Quinn back to reality. "You need to rescue Berry before Puck makes a move."

Quinn glanced over Santana's shoulder towards the couch. Puck and Rachel were sitting there and it was obvious that Puck was putting on his charm. She sighed deeply and headed towards her friend.

"Rach, I need some girl talk," said Quinn. The pair turned around. Puck did not look pleased to see his baby mama interrupting them. Rachel just smiled and hopped up off of the couch. Quinn gestured to the door and they headed out onto the porch.

The night was warm and peaceful. Quinn took in the sounds of nature and the beauty of the dark lake. Rachel had sat down on the porch swing and was rocking gently. Quinn sat down next to her.

"So what kind of girl talk did you need, Q?" asked Rachel, oblivious that Quinn had only said that to save her from Puck.

"I just was trying to make sure that Puck didn't put the moves on you," Quinn said, laughing.

"Noah was just being nice. He just wanted to hear about my plan to achieve my goals in New York," Rachel said matter-of-factly. Quinn laughed again.

"Rach, you have so much to learn. Guys pretend to be interested because girls like good listeners. If they convince you they are good listeners, then they think they have a chance to get into your pants," Quinn explained to her naïve best friend. Rachel contemplated this.

"Well, thank you for the rescue then. But Noah should be fully aware that there is no chemistry between us," stated Rachel, standing up. "I'm exhausted. You ready to go up to bed?" Quinn nodded and followed her friend inside.

Finn and Puck were the only ones left downstairs. They were playing a competitive game of quarters, bouncing the quarters on the wooden table and trying to land them into the shot glasses in front of them. The girls called good night and headed up to their bedroom.

They got ready for bed together and crawled into bed at the same time. Rachel cuddled in, her head on Quinn's shoulder. Quinn felt that twinge of electricity where Rachel was touching her, but didn't push her friend away. They lay in silence enjoying one another's company.

"Oh god, do you hear that Rach?" Quinn asked suddenly. Rach muttered, half-asleep. Quinn pulled herself into a sitting position, startling Rachel.

"What's the matter, Q?" Rach asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Shh.." Quinn responded. The girls sat still, listening intently.

"Oh god, Britt! Right there!" Santana's moans were clearly audible through the wall.

"Damn, why did we pick the room next to the sex fiends?" Quinn asked, giggling. Yet their loud sex was making Quinn's cheeks flush. She thought of Santana's lips on hers, causing her to blush even more. Rachel sighed loudly and laid back down on her pillow and Quinn followed suit. Giggling every once in a while at the raunchy sounds, the girls finally drifted off to sleep


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Quinn awoke to the sound of Rachel humming to herself as she brushed her hair. She rubbed her eyes and caught a glimpse of Rachel in the mirror. She was dressed for a run and was tying her hair up with her headphones in her ears. Quinn hopped out of bed and changed into running clothes as well.

"Gimme 5 minutes and I'll come with you," said Quinn, joining Rachel at the sink.

"That sounds good. I will meet you downstairs," said Rachel and she headed out of the room.

Quinn brushed her teeth and pulled her hair up into a Cheerios ponytail. She laced up her sneakers, grabbed her iPod, and headed downstairs to join Rachel.

Rachel was standing at the front door, looking slightly impatient. Quinn smiled timidly at her, not wanting to set Rachel off into a lecture about punctuality this early in the morning. Instead, she followed Rachel wordlessly out the front door.

Rachel was right about the running trail. It wasn't too steep, but it was challenging. At some curves, there was a fantastic view of the lake, but more often than not they were surrounded by the trees. Quinn loved running because it was the one time that her mind was completely clear. She focused on the pounding of her sneakers on the hard earth and let herself be pulled along at Rachel's pretty demanding pace.

Before long the girls finished the loop, ending up back in front of the cabin. They stretched on the front lawn in silence and headed in to make some coffee.

"That was really nice, Quinn. Thanks for joining me. I've never done that before," Rachel said quietly.

"Done what?" answered Quinn, confused.

"Done my exercise routine with someone else." Rachel's cheeks were tinted pink.

"Really?" Quinn asked, amazed. Quinn had always preferred to run alone, but she had trained with her Cheerio teammates millions of times.

"Well, nobody has ever liked to join my demanding routine. Plus, I wasn't an athlete like you were." Rachel replied, somewhat timidly.

"Let's plan on doing this again tomorrow," said Quinn, turning on the coffee maker. She looked up to see Rachel beaming at her.

Santana appeared in the kitchen just then, looking extremely tired.

"Coffee! You are an angel to me right now, Quinnie!" exclaimed Santana, accepting a steaming mug from Quinn. Quinn poured coffee into two more mugs, handed one to Rachel, and the three girls headed onto the back porch.

"Where's your other half, San?" asked Quinn, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Sleeping like a rock. I must have worn her out last night," replied Santana with a smirk. Quinn rolled her eyes at her best friend.

"Believe me, we know," said Quinn with exasperation.

"Yeah, the bedroom walls are quite thin actually," added Rachel. Santana's smirk faltered slightly, but returned almost immediately.

"You should try it sometime, Berry. Sex with a girl is so much better than anything you did with Finn I'm sure," Santana retorted, making both Quinn and Rachel blush. She caught Quinn's eye and broke into a grin, seeing that Quinn was obviously wondering about sex with a girl. Before Santana could say anything about it, however, the rest of their friends joined them outside.

They said good morning and sat down with their mugs of coffee. Santana wasn't kidding about Brittany being tired. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun and she had dark circles under her eyes. She was not her cheerful self. Quinn watched her walk over and give Santana a kiss. She couldn't help but continue to wonder about what Santana had said about sex with girls.

"There's a place up the road that rents jetskis. Puck and I are going to check it out. Anybody wanna join us?" Finn asked with a boyish grin. There was an excited murmur of agreement from the group. They finished their coffee and headed upstairs to get ready for a day on the lake.

In their room, Rachel plugged her iPod into the portable dock and flipped through a couple of songs until she hit a Lady Gaga song. The girls sang along as they changed into their swimsuits and got their stuff together to go. A few minutes later, the door burst open and Kurt and Brittany came in dancing and starting to sing along with Lady Gaga. Their enthusiasm was contagious and Quinn joined them, using her hairbrush as a makeshift microphone as she danced around the bed. The rest of their friends had appeared at the door and were laughing at the spectacle.

When the song ended, they took a bow and turned off the iPod. Quinn grabbed her sandals off the floor and followed her friends out the door excited about the day in front of them.

Fifteen minutes later they were pulling into the parking lot of the rental shop. All the way there the boys had been arguing about who was getting to drive the jetski. Finally Quinn gave in and agreed to ride with Puck and Rachel agreed to ride with Finn, which seemed to appease both boys. They paid and got lifejackets, then headed down to the water's edge where the jetskis were tied up waiting for them. Puck, Finn, and Santana had raced to the water yelling insults at one another. The rest strolled behind them, laughing at their immature friends.

Quinn climbed onto a green jetski with an excited Puck. She couldn't help but get caught up in his enthusiasm. She found herself smiling wide as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"Hold on tight, baby mama!" Puck called back to her, turning the throttle and causing them to speed into the lake.

The group spent the next two hours whizzing around the lake, chasing one another and catcalling. At one point, Santana played chicken with Finn and speed directly towards him and Rachel, causing him to turn sharply and throwing both himself and Rachel from the jetski. They all laughed as Rachel and Finn bobbed in their life jackets and struggled to remount their jetski.

After their two hours were up, Puck steered them back to shore and helped Quinn gently off the jetski before tying it to the dock. She felt the tenderness in his touch that had been there since the day she had told him she was pregnant.

When they got back to the cabin, they made lunch together and ate at the picnic table in the backyard. They relived their morning adventure together, laughing at the sight of Finn and Rachel in the water. Santana took the crown of worst jetski driver happily.

"I think we've started ourselves a new tradition," said Blaine, smiling at Rachel. She beamed. It had been her idea to rent the cabin. They all agreed enthusiastically.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

After lunch, they split up and headed to their rooms. Quinn took a quick shower and changed into a white seersucker dress. She grabbed her book and headed back downstairs. Puck and Finn were playing a video game and shouting in the living room. Rachel was lounging in the back, her eyes closed and her iPod headphones in her ears. Quinn flopped onto the lounge chair next to her and opened her book.

The girls sat in silence for a long time. Quinn was absorbed in her book and didn't notice Rachel wake up. Rachel watched her, taking in Quinn's effortless beauty. She was still amazed that they had become best friends after all they had been through. Quinn had apologized on so many occasions for how she had treated Rachel earlier in high school. Rachel forgave her pretty easily, knowing how much Quinn had changed when she was pregnant with Beth. Rachel knew Quinn was afraid that Rachel didn't believe her. But Quinn didn't realize that Rachel needed Quinn as much as Quinn had needed Rachel. Quinn understood her in a way nobody else ever had.

Quinn noticed Rachel and smiled at her. This week had already brought the two girls closer. Quinn couldn't put her finger on it, but something was a little different. Kurt and Blaine arrived at her side and Quinn was pulled away from her meddled thoughts.

The boys looked so happy. Kurt had been a jealous boyfriend when Sebastian had arrived in town, but they seemed to have worked through it. Quinn hoped that the boys made the distance work. Kurt would be in New York while Blaine finished his senior year at McKinley. If anybody could do it, they could.

Quinn left Rachel with the chatty boys and headed back into the house. She found the boys still playing their game, but with Brittany sitting on the couch looking amused.

"Where's San?" she asked Brittany.

"She's laying down still, but she's awake if you want to talk to her," responded Britt, not taking her eyes off of Puck cheering and Finn cursing over his thrown interception in the game. Quinn turned and headed up to hang out with Santana.

Quinn knocked lightly on the door, but Santana didn't respond so she let herself in. The sight made her eyes open wide. Santana was laying on the bed with her headphones in, her eyes closed, and her hand rubbing her clit while her shorts and panties hung around her knees. Quinn squeaked in horror and Santana's eyes shot open. She jumped up and pulled up her shorts hastily.

"What the fuck, Q?" asked Santana angrily. Quinn was still in shock.

"I'm so sorry, Britt said you were just relaxing and I could come up," said Quinn, her face bright red.

"Ugh, that girl kills me sometimes." Santana's cheeks were hardly flushed despite the embarrassment of Quinn interrupting her. "What was it that you wanted anyway?" she asked, changing the subject away from the awkwardness.

"Nothing in particular. Just wanted to hang out with my best friend," said Quinn, still not meeting Santana's eyes. She sat down on the edge of the bed and Santana laughed out loud.

"Seriously, Q, you're not going to catch anything by laying on the bed. Stop being such a prude." Santana tossed her pillow at Quinn playfully and Quinn bashfully laid down on the bed next to Santana. The girls sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

"How did you know you were gay, San?" The question had been burning inside Quinn for a couple of days now.

"Well, I guess I had always admired girls from afar and I never got particularly excited with guys, but I never gave it too much thought until I first kissed Brittany. I realized that just kissing her was a million times better than anything I had ever done with guys and that I couldn't go back." Quinn appreciated Santana's blunt honesty. "What's up with you, Q?" Santana asked.

"I just never really thought about being with a girl. I mean, I never really enjoyed being with Finn or even having sex with Puck. I just figured I hadn't met the right guy yet. But then the other night happened and my eyes were opened up to a world I hadn't given a thought to before." It felt good to get the confusion of her thoughts off her chest. Her cheeks were still flushed and she avoided Santana's gaze.

"You think you're a lezzie?" asked Santana.

"I have no idea. Kissing you was the most turned on I've ever been. I mean I'm not attracted to you I don't think. But since then, I've gotten chills every time Rachel and I touch." Quinn responded really fast, embarrassed by saying the words aloud.

Santana gave a little laugh. Quinn finally got the nerve to look at Santana. She was smiling at Quinn with a knowing look on her face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Quinn asked, annoyed.

"You're totally smitten with Berry." Santana laughed again.

"I am not. I'm just confused about everything right now."

"Believe me, Quinn, you have smitten written all over your face."

They were interrupted at that moment by Britt entering the room, telling them that they were making dinner and they needed help. They looked at each other once more and then followed Brittany downstairs.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was raining lightly outside, so they set up dinner inside that night. They ate in relative silence, enjoying the food and the wine that Blaine and Kurt had provided. Quinn couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Santana. There was no way she had feelings for Rachel. They were just best friends. The only thing that had happened is that Quinn now felt incredibly nervous in Rachel's presence because she could feel Santana smirking at her every time she glanced in Rachel's direction.

They cleaned up dinner quickly. Quinn was buzzed from the wine, her body flushed with the effects. She was still feeling nervous, so she grabbed a beer out of the fridge and joined her friends at the table. They were arguing over what to do this evening. It was still raining, which eliminated any outside activity. The boys wanted to play video games and the girls voted for a movie. Finally they gave in when Puck suggested a card game. Within a few rounds, they had all built on their buzz. Puck had decided that the game was getting boring.

"How about some strip poker?" he suggested, a devilish grin on his face. Finn and Brittany agreed immediately. Kurt and Blaine giggled and said okay. Rachel looked unsure, but after a teasing comment from Santana, she quickly agreed. All eyes were on Quinn, waiting for her answer.

"Fuck, why not." Quinn answered, avoiding Rachel and Santana's eyes. Puck whooped excitedly and began to deal the cards.

The first few rounds were mild, most of them only losing socks and Finn and Kurt losing their shirts. Quinn had been drinking consistently, knowing she needed her confidence level up for when she had to start losing the bigger items of clothing. They all were bright red from the alcohol, Rachel looking particularly flushed. Quinn couldn't help but think that she looked adorable when she was having fun. She quickly shifted her thought back to the game as she picked up her newest hand.

Her cards were shit. She knew there was no chance of keeping her dress in this round. Why had she worn a dress instead of shorts and a t-shirt like everybody else? She tried to keep a straight face as the hand went on. When it was finally time to show their cards, she tossed them on the table, knowing the inevitable outcome. Puck whooped excitedly.

"Take it off, Quinn!" said Kurt, giggling. Quinn hesitated, but caught Santana's smug face and quickly tore her sundress and tossing it over her shoulder carelessly.

"Damn, Quinn!" hollered Puck, taking in Quinn's nearly bare body. Thankfully she was sitting so they didn't have a good look at her panty-clad ass and bare legs. Santana still looked smug and Rachel was staring right at Quinn's chest. This made Quinn blush furiously.

"Deal the damn cards, Puckerman," she said through gritted teeth. Within the next couple of rounds, everybody had lost their shirts and most had lost their pants as well. Quinn had held onto her few precious items of clothing, but at least everybody at the table was in the same situation as her now.

Quinn received her next hand and smiled slightly at the cards in her hand. A straight. She was going to get through this round unscathed. Someone else would be the first to show real skin. When they all revealed their hands, they saw that it was Rachel's cards that were the worst. Puck got excited at the prospect of finally seeing some boobs. Him and Finn had their eyes glued on Rachel's simple white bra, waiting for the show. Santana and Brittany were also watching, mildly amused. Quinn was doing her best to not stare as her best friend reached behind her and released the clasp of her bra. Her breasts were released and Rachel slid the bra off her shoulders, giving them a great view of her chest. The boys could hardly contain their excitement. Rachel didn't seem embarrassed, she just shrugged and caught Quinn's eye with a small grin.

Quinn had a tight feeling in her stomach from seeing Rachel exposed. Her friend's bikini tan line was very obvious around the perky boobs. They were perfectly sized. Quinn forced herself to tear her eyes away feeling Santana smirking at her. She grabbed the cards and began to deal the next hand.

Once Puck lost his boxers and did a naked "victory" lap around the house, they decided it was time to end the game. Quinn had managed to hold onto her bra and panties. The boys were all in their boxers and Brittany was also topless next to Rachel. They grabbed their clothes and redressed, Brittany taking some convincing from Santana. Quinn walked over and collapsed on the couch, flipping the TV on to some terrible reality show.

Rachel flopped down next to her, close enough that Quinn could feel her drunken warmth radiating from her skin. Being this close to Rachel was making her squirm with discomfort. Santana was smiling right at Quinn from across the room. When Quinn caught her eye she gave her a wink and then turned to make out with Brittany. Quinn just turned a deeper shade of red and tried to ignore Rachel leaning up against her. The more she tried to ignore it, the most her skin seemed to crave Rachel's touch. Eventually Quinn gave into her discomfort a little bit and raised her arm so that Rachel could cuddle into her.

Santana mouthed "Aww!" from across the room and Quinn immediately flipped her off, which just gave Santana a reason to return the smug look to her face. Rachel seemed oblivious to the silent exchange between her friends and was still absorbed in the TV show. Quinn let out a huge yawn and saw that it was already one in the morning. Rachel turned to look at her.

"I think I'm going to head up to bed, Rach," said Quinn quietly, even though she didn't want to extract herself from Rachel. Rachel nodded at her and sat up.

"I'll be up in a little bit. Night, Quinn."

"Night, Rach," murmured Quinn, avoiding looking directly into her eyes.

Quinn got ready for bed while her mind raced. She could still feel exactly where Rachel's skin had been against hers on the couch. She couldn't erase the image of Rachel's topless form during the poker game from her memory. It seemed like all she had thought about for the past 24 hours was Rachel. Quinn was having trouble convincing herself that Santana was wrong about her being smitten with Rachel. She tossed in bed for a while, trying to get Rachel out of her mind.

Finally she gave up trying, grabbed her iPod, and went onto the balcony to take in the sight. The rain had stopped, but had left behind a layer of water on the leaves of the trees. Quinn looked out on the smooth surface of the dark lake, feeling herself get lost in the sight. Her iPod was blaring in her ears. It was a mix that Santana, Brittany, and Quinn had made back before she had even joined glee. It was outdated, but the songs were catchy and Quinn found herself emerged in memories of afternoons with her two closest friends while being at the top of the social ladder. It seemed like a lifetime ago; before her life ever became unraveled.

Quinn was so absorbed that she didn't even hear Rachel come into the bedroom. Rachel had changed into her pajamas and walked out onto the balcony to join Quinn.

"I thought you were going to bed," said Rachel simply. Quinn nearly jumped out of her skin; she hadn't seen Rachel approach her at all.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Any particular reason or something you want to talk about?" Rachel asked, being the typical caring, motherly best friend that she was. Quinn thought for a second of confessing all of her confusing feelings and that they were all related to how she felt about Rachel.

"Just thinking about the past. Thinking about how things were before, you know, Beth," Quinn answered. In her head she was calling herself a chicken.

"In less than two weeks, you'll be far away from Lima. You'll always have the memories of the good and the bad times, but you'll get a chance to be the real Quinn Fabray without everybody having made judgments about you for years," Rachel said soothingly. "I know that's why I am looking forward to New York," she added quietly. It made Quinn hurt inside to know that Rachel had it so hard throughout high school mostly because of Quinn herself.

"I'm so sorry that nobody got to see the real you at McKinley. It's my fault and a lot of people missed out on a great girl because of me." Quinn meant every word and she hoped that Rachel knew that as well.

"It's over, Q. I'm going to be a star and I don't have a reputation preceding me. That's all I meant. I didn't mean to make you feel bad about how we used to be," Rachel said softly, turning towards Quinn. Quinn couldn't help herself. She pulled the petite brunette in close to her, wrapped in a tight hug. They stayed like that for a while, their arms around one another, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

"We better get some sleep," mumbled Rachel, pulling away from their hug and heading back into the bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I really appreciate the reviews that have started to trickle in. I've never written a fanfic before, but have always loved to write so I thought I would give it a shot. Keep it up with the reviews; they're helpful and motivating!

**Chapter 8**

Quinn didn't get much sleep that night. She tossed for a long time after Rachel slipped into a deep slumber. She had no doubt that Santana was right about her feelings for Rachel. How had she missed it herself? Was it part of the reason that she changed her attitude towards the diva after Beth was born? How could she be so damn stupid as to fall for someone that was straight and _her best friend?_

When the early morning sun peaked through the curtains, Quinn felt Rachel stir next to her. Quinn could really use a run to clear her mind this morning, but she was too scared to spend alone time with Rachel right now. She mumbled to Rachel to go without her and rolled over, pulling the blankets up over her head.

A little while later, she heard Rachel leave the room. She sighed, wishing things could go back to before they left for this trip. Back to when Quinn was completely oblivious to the fact that she had developed a crush on her best friend.

Quinn drifted back to sleep, but her dreams were full of Rachel's face looking up at her innocently and Santana smirking at her from over Rachel's shoulder. She awoke and couldn't shake the images from her head. It seemed pointless to try to sleep.

She dragged her tired body into the shower, letting the hot water pound against her back and shoulders. She washed and got out, still not feeling ready to face the day. Once she was dressed in her most comfortable shorts and a worn-in tank top, Quinn headed down to get some coffee.

Brittany was sitting at the dining room table, eating a banana and absorbed in a magazine that she had leaned up against the orange juice container.

"Morning, Britt."

"Hey, Q." Brittany looked up from her magazine. "You look exhausted. Everything okay, Quinnie?"

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind lately," Quinn mumbled. She wondered how much Santana had told her. Those two shared everything, but Santana and Quinn's personal conversations were usually kept between them.

"Does this have anything to do with you getting to see Rachel's sweater puppies last night?" Brittany said innocently, looking down at the magazine.

"Was I that obvious?" Quinn said, mortified.

"I don't think so, Q. I'm just good at reading people. You've been totally in love with Rachel all summer," Britt responded nonchalantly.

"And you seriously didn't think to clue me in?" Quinn asked, a little annoyed.

"I knew you'd figure it out eventually and it's better if you figure it out for yourself so that you can avoid the denial." Quinn was always amazed at how good Brittany really was at reading people.

"Thanks, Britt," said Quinn, heading back into the kitchen to get some coffee. She filled a mug, grabbed a banana, and plopped down in front of the TV. She mindlessly flipped through channels until she found one that was showing old Bugs Bunny cartoons. She sipped on her coffee and enjoyed the mindless show.

Half an hour and two cups of coffee later, Rachel came through the front door from her run. Her body glistened with sweat and her hair fell messily around her face. Quinn couldn't help but admire the brunette. She was so used to Rachel being self conscious about her looks, but right now she looked incredible.

"Hey, Rach," she said, smiling up at her best friend. "Did you have a good run?"

"Yeah, it was really relaxing." Rachel answered, pulling a bottle of water out of the fridge and taking a huge swig from it.

"Hey, what do you say about going into town and shopping today?" asked Quinn tentatively. Shopping wasn't Rachel's favorite activity.

"That sounds fun. I'm going to go shower, but why don't you round up the girls and Kurt and we'll leave in an hour?" She headed up the stairs to shower, leaving Quinn sitting on the couch.

Quinn had planned on it just being a trip for her and Rachel. She thought some quality best friend time would help her learn to deal with her secret feelings. But Rachel obviously hadn't gotten that Quinn wanted it to just be them. She sighed and went to go tell the others that they now had to go shopping as well.

Quinn knocked on the door to Santana's room. She waited patiently to be beckoned inside. She heard Santana call from inside to enter, so she did with her eyes covered.

"Is it okay to look?" she asked mockingly at her friend.

"Shut it, Fabray!" Santana retorted. Quinn laughed and looked up. Santana was standing there in jean shorts that made her legs look a mile long and a turquoise bikini top that set off her tanned skin beautifully.

"Might as well throw a top on, San. We're going shopping." Quinn informed her matter-of-factly.

"Britt and I are heading down to the lake." Santana said, obviously not realizing that Quinn was demanding that she join her.

"No, you're going shopping. I invited Rachel to go shopping and she thought that meant all of us girls, so now you're going shopping with us." Quinn said quickly, avoiding Santana's eyes.

"Seriously, Q? You're already that much of a pussy that you couldn't just tell her that you wanted it to just be the two of you?" Quinn glanced up sheepishly. "God you're lucky that I love you and that Brittany will force me to go if you don't." Santana grabbed a loose fitting tank top that was slung over a chair and pulled it over her head. "Let's go, Fabray. But you owe me big time for this." Quinn smiled and led the way back downstairs.

"We're going shopping, Britt," said Quinn to her blonde friend. Brittany looked up at her and Santana standing there.

"I thought we were going to the lake, Sanny," said Britt.

"Yeah me too, but Fabray is a chicken shit so now we're going shopping with her and Rachel instead," Santana replied, still not happy with the sudden change of plans.

"I totally want to go shopping!" exclaimed Kurt from the doorway. Quinn smiled at him, glad that somebody was showing some enthusiasm for the impromptu shopping trip.

Rachel showed up in the dining room at that moment wearing a navy blue dress and simple white sandals. Her dark hair was still wet from her shower and fell over her shoulders in natural waves. Quinn's heart began pounding in her chest.

"Looks like we're ready to go then!" said Quinn, grabbing the keys to Santana's car and leading the way out of the house before anybody could change their mind.

Twenty minutes later the girls and Kurt were strolling in front of rows of little shops. It was a quaint, seasonal town with an adorable main street lined with shops. Most of the shops were dedicated to the lake tourists. There were tons of gift shops sporting corny vacation t-shirts and mugs. They walked through many of them, convincing one another to put on ridiculous hats while the others snapped pictures on their cell phones. They walked through shops that had small cases full of beautiful handmade jewelry. They passed the arcade where tons of teenage boys were sulking around despite how beautiful it was. Brittany dragged them into a clothing shop after seeing a really cute bikini that she wanted to try on in the window.

While Brittany raced for the rack holding the bikini she had seen, Quinn calmly perused the racks of swimsuits and colorful summer attire. Rachel had sidled up to Quinn and began flipping through the articles as well.

"This would be so flattering on you, Quinnie," said Rachel, pulling a short white skirt off of the rack and holding it up to Quinn's waist. The cut wasn't a style that Quinn normally picked out, but she agreed to try it on to appease the brunette. She took it from her and continued to rifle through the racks until she found something for Rachel to try on. She landed on a light green halter dress that would hug Rachel's petite frame and accent her chest well.

"Well then you need to try this one on, Rach," she said, holding the dress out to Rachel.

"I'm not sure, Quinn. I don't think I could pull a dress like that off," said Rachel uncomfortably.

"Just try it on. Please, Rach?" Quinn gave Rachel her sad eyes and Rachel sighed and agreed. The two girls headed towards the dressing room. Inside, they heard some light moans coming from behind one of the doors.

"Seriously, Santana, we're in public for god's sake," said Quinn, exasperated.

"Exactly, Quinn. It's a super turn-on," said Santana, opening the door to reveal a half-dressed Brittany who was supposedly trying on the bikini. "I'm just helping Brittany tie her top," said Santana innocently as the clerk looked suspiciously at her.

Quinn just sighed and headed into the room next to them. Her pulled off her worn shorts and shimmied the tight skirt up her toned legs. Rachel had a better eye than Quinn gave her credit for. The skirt hugged her in all the right places and complemented her tan well. Quinn opened the door to show her friends.

"That looks super hot, Quinn," said Britt, checking out her friend shamelessly.

"It looks awesome," Rachel added, taking in Quinn's muscular legs emerging from the bottom of the skirt.

"I'll get it, then! Your turn, Rachel," Quinn said happily, holding the door open to switch places with Rachel.

Quinn sat down next to Santana to wait for Rachel to model her dress. She was too embarrassed to say anything, afraid Santana would make a bad joke within earshot of Rachel.

"I don't know about this, guys," Rachel called tentatively through the door.

"Just show us, Berry. If it's that hideous then we'll get a good laugh at Quinn's horrible taste," said Santana. Quinn glared at her, but Rachel swung the door open.

Quinn's jaw dropped at the sight. It fit her like a glove, hugging her in all the right places. The deep v-neck cut showed off a tasteful amount of cleavage and it fell to mid-thigh, making her slender legs look so long.

"Damn." It was all Quinn could muster.

"Holy shit, Rach! You look fantastic!" exclaimed Kurt, making Rachel twirl on the spot.

"Even I'll admit it, Berry. You look pretty sexy. Now you just need a date so you can have an excuse to wear it." Quinn avoided Santana's obvious bait. She met Rachel's eyes instead.

"Rach, you've got to get it. It's stunning on you." Quinn meant it completely and Rachel must have believed her because she smiled and turned to look at herself in the mirror again. She nodded in agreement and skipped back into the dressing room to get changed.

Santana smirked at Quinn and Quinn immediately followed up by flipping her off. As soon as Rachel emerged, the girls headed to the counter to pay for their new outfits and then the five of them headed back into the hot summer air.

An hour later, they were shopped out and decided to head back to the cabin. They threw together lunch and ate on the couch while watching more trashy reality television.

"This is totally what summer was made for," said Kurt. Rachel murmured her agreement and wedged her way onto the couch next to Kurt. The five of them were joined shortly thereafter by Blaine, who informed them that Puck and Finn had met some girls down by the lake. Blaine had gotten bored with the scenario and was much happier to join them.

Santana was obviously bored and horny and began kissing Brittany's neck until the blonde finally agreed to go take a nap with her. They disappeared up the stairs, giggling as they went and slamming the door behind them. Kurt had moved to the other couch to snuggle up with Blaine. Rachel was twirling a lock of her hair around her finger absentmindedly, staring off. Quinn poked her in the ribs to get her attention.

"Wanna go for a walk or something?" she asked quietly. Rachel grinned at her.

"Yeah, that sounds nice. I just need to change into appropriate walking shoes." Rachel skipped upstairs to switch shoes while Quinn waited by the front door for her to return.

A few minutes later, Rachel returned and the two girls headed out. They decided to walk down by the lake. Quinn strolled along, watching the small boats and jetskis zipping along the surface. A few kids were screaming in delight as a boat pulled them on a raft behind it. She turned her glance towards Rachel walking beside her. The brunette looked more relaxed than Quinn had ever seen her. She had a dreamy look on her face as she glanced out over the water. Quinn could feel her heart pounding in her chest at the beauty of Rachel.

Without thinking, Quinn reached over and took Rachel's hand in her own. She blushed crimson, but she saw a smile creep across Rachel's face and felt the small hand tighten her grip. The girls walked for a while long away from the cabin and Quinn was happy to do so in silence because she was so fixated on the hand that was linked with hers.

She could feel her nervous palm getting sweaty and was embarrassed, so she pulled away gently and took off running for the edge of the lake. Rachel was surprised, but came running right after her. Quinn stopped at the water's edge, her feet submerged in the cool water. Rachel approached her and Quinn dipped down quickly to splash Rachel. Rachel squealed in surprise and ran to get Quinn back. They splashed along the edge, laughing at one another and their childish antics. Both girls were soaked and had stopped to catch their breath. But Quinn couldn't help herself. She ran towards the other girl and tackled her lightly. They both fell into the water with a splash. Rachel spluttered and laughed again, meeting Quinn's eyes. They were sitting in the knee-deep water, completely clothed and dripping. Quinn could feel Rachel's hand against hers under the water and it made her stomach flutter. Without even thinking, Quinn leaned over and brushed the wet hair off of Rachel's face. Rachel was staring intently into Quinn's eyes, the two girls fixated on one another. Before Quinn could convince her heart otherwise, she leaned in and tenderly put her lips against Rachel's.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The feeling of Rachel's lips on hers was electric. She could feel the kiss throughout her whole body. Kissing Santana had been eye-opening, but kissing Rachel was like a whole new universe.

Quinn pulled back, not allowing herself to deepen the kiss. She feared that she had scared Rachel and the last thing she wanted to do was lose her best friend because she couldn't control her hormones. Quinn willed herself to look at Rachel's face and resist the urge to run away and avoid explaining what had come over her.

Rachel's eyes met hers. She could see the confusion and surprise, but Rachel didn't look appalled. That had to be a good sign for their friendship at least.

"Quinn.." Rachel said softly, not dropping her gaze from Quinn's face.

"Rach, I'm so sorry. I have no idea where that came from. You were just sitting there and I just wasn't thinking." Quinn knew she was rambling. The only reason she stopped is because she felt Rachel's hand on top of hers under the water.

"Quinn, calm down. We don't need to talk about it right now while we're both in shock." She smiled gently at a terrified looking Quinn and pulled herself to her feet. She held out her hand to help Quinn up and Quinn took it, feeling her own trembling against the brunette's.

Quinn kept a little distance between them as they walked back towards the cabin. They walked next to one another, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

When they entered the cabin, they saw Kurt and Blaine still sitting on the couch snuggled into one another.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" said Kurt, taking in the sight of the two wet girls.

"Waterfight," mumbled Quinn and she headed upstairs to get changed. She was thankful that Rachel was giving her some space. She changed out of her wet clothes and was running a brush through her hair when Rachel called through.

"Is it okay if I come in?" she said timidly, standing outside of the door.

"Yeah, of course," Quinn said, trying to sound casual. She swept her hair up into a careless ponytail. "I'll let you get changed."

She headed out of the bedroom, but saw that Santana's door was standing open. The brunette was sprawling on the bed, reading an article from a magazine.

"I did something stupid." Quinn stated, barely audible.

"Well that's no surprise, Fabray," said Santana without glancing up.

"I mean really stupid." Santana looked toward Quinn, taking in her petrified face. "I kissed Rachel."

"Did you at least tell her how you feel?" Santana asked, not even commenting on the kiss.

"No, it just happened and then we both were stunned and said we'd talk about it later when we've had time to deal with our thoughts." Quinn looked on the verge of tears.

"It'll be fine, Q. You know you're into her. She didn't push you away or freak out. That's a good sign. Just let her talk first and then you can respond based on that." Santana bit her tongue from made snide remarks about the situation, seeing how stressed out her friend was. Quinn sat down on the bed next to her and leaned her head onto Santana's shoulder.

"You can actually be a sweetheart when you want to, huh?" Quinn said with a giggle.

"If you repeat that to anybody, I'll kick your ass, Fabray. Now let's go, I'm starving!" The Latina bounced off the bed and down the hall. Quinn sighed and followed slowly behind her.

By the time that Quinn entered the kitchen, Santana already had two beers in her hands and thrust one at Quinn. Quinn accepted it, figuring a slight buzz would help with the inevitable awkwardness of being around Rachel for the rest of the night. She twisted the cap and took a swig before moving to help Santana with dinner. Within the hour, the two girls had made dinner for everybody and had built up a pretty good buzz.

"Get your pretty asses down here for grub!" shouted Santana up the stairs to her friends. She popped open a bottle of wine that was sitting on the counter and poured herself and Quinn each a large glass before joining Quinn at the table. Within a few minutes, the rest of the crew had joined them and they were digging in. Rachel had taken a shower and her hair was pulled back into a neat braid. She was dressed very casually and seemed relaxed. Quinn's heart pounded hard every time she stole a glance at Rachel, the booze doing nothing to calm her nerves. She noticed Rachel had a glass of wine in front of her as well, although it had hardly been touched, whereas Quinn was on her second large glass already. She knew she was getting drunk and part of her wanted to stop so she wouldn't make a fool of herself, but she didn't know if she could handle Rachel if she was too sober right now. Santana made her decision for her though as she topped off Quinn's glass, emptying the bottle.

After dinner, Puck got his guitar and they sat on the front porch, lounging like they had the first night. That night felt like ages ago. It was before her life had been turned upside down. But the sound of Puck strumming was relaxing and she laughed when Blaine and Kurt would egg him on to play specific songs so they could sing along. Quinn just watched for a while as the boys put on a show. Before long, temptation got to Rachel and she joined in. Her voice sounded angelic, yet playful. Quinn was used to Rachel being so serious about her singing that it was nice to see her let loose and do it just out of sheer enjoyment. Their enthusiasm was contagious and shortly Quinn found herself shouting out requests to Puck as she sang along with her friends. Every once in a while she would catch Rachel's eye, but Quinn would then shyly look away having been caught staring at Rachel once again.

The sun had set during their impromptu sing along. The sky was a deep blue and the stars shone brightly on the clear night. Quinn heard the crickets chirping loudly in the grass. Her friends were chatting and laughing, but Quinn was zoned out, too busy trying to make sense of what had happened on the beach with Rachel earlier that day.

She knew she felt something towards Rachel. It was way too recent of a realization to say that she was in love with Rachel, but there was definitely something there. But until Santana had kissed her, Quinn didn't even realize she was interested in girls. She had never gotten swept off her feet by a guy, but she just figured that she hadn't met the right person. Kissing Rachel, as brief as it had been, had made Quinn feel more alive than anything else ever had. Then there was the issue that she would be heading to New Haven in a week and a half and Rachel would be chasing her Broadway dreams in New York City. Quinn had already been worried about their friendship fading from the distance, but now there was something more between them. Unless they decided to just ignore the feelings and move on when they went away to college. Plus, Quinn had no idea how Rachel felt about the whole thing.

Quinn snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her name. She turned her attention back to her friends' conversation. Apparently Puck and Santana were fondly reminiscing over a memory from when Quinn was the Head Bitch in Charge. She saw Rachel frowning slightly at the mention of the old Quinn. It made Quinn's chest hurt to remember the way she had treated Rachel and the other original glee club members. She still couldn't believe that Rachel had ever been able to forgive her for the horrible insults and slushie facials Quinn had tossed her way on a regular basis for years.

To steer the conversation away from old bitchy Quinn, she changed the subject to glee club. There was no better way to cheer Rachel up then letting her talk about anything to do with glee club. They reminisced about their competitions and all of the drama. The night slipped away from them as they sat on the front porch. Eventually they couldn't control the yawns and the group slowly slimmed until Quinn and Rachel were the only two left sitting on the porch.

"Quinn.." Rachel was glancing timidly in Quinn's direction, not sure how to approach the topic looming over them like a dark cloud.

"Rach, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have sprung something like that on you." Quinn couldn't convince herself to meet the dark brown eyes that she could feel staring at her.

"You just caught me by surprise. It was a perfectly enjoyable kiss. As a bisexual, it was even a turn on to be kissed by such a beautiful girl." Rachel's voice was so calm and confident.

"Bisexual?" This had caught Quinn off guard.

"I find men and women equally attractive. I just happened to have had heterosexual relationships during high school." Rachel stated so matter-of-factly. Quinn knew her mouth was hanging out in disbelief, but she was trying to absorb this new information.

"I never knew that," Quinn responded quietly.

"Why did you kiss me, Quinn?" Rachel was still gazing so intently upon Quinn.

"I have no idea. I mean until I kissed Santana in that stupid game the other night, I had never even considered being interested in girls." Quinn knew she just needed to tell her best friend everything and get it over with. "But it was like I had been missing out on this whole other universe for 18 years. My head has been so confused since then. All of a sudden I was sensitive to how I feel around you. Your skin against mine gives me chills. Your beauty leaves me breathless. I guess I just let all these newfound emotions get the best of me when we were sitting in the water this afternoon." Quinn had been talking extremely fast, trying to get all of the messy thoughts out of her head.

Rachel was still staring intently at Quinn, her brow furrowed in thought. Quinn's palms were sweaty and she was antsy to hear what Rachel thought of everything.

"So what do we do now?" asked Rachel.

"Um, well you haven't told me how you feel about everything, Rach."

"I thought that was obvious. You know I'm attracted to women. You know that I think you're funny and sweet and beautiful. The kiss blindsided me, but I found it very appealing." Quinn couldn't help but giggle. While her thoughts and emotions seemed to be a whirlwind, Rachel's were laid out so nice and orderly.

"We move to separate states chasing separate dreams in a week and a half, Rach." It was the thought that was nagging Quinn the most.

"New Haven and NYC aren't that far apart. We're going to see one another," Rachel stated simply.

"Why are you able to make this seem like it's not a big deal? I kissed you out of the blue! We both liked it and I have so many feelings towards you and before we can explore them, we're both going to be in new places with new people." Quinn was frustrated with how calm Rachel was.

"Quinnie, I know we can't rush into some huge romance. We are best friends. I don't know what happens now. But I can't ignore how the kiss made me feel. Why can't we explore our feelings, even if we're living apart?"

"Things just aren't that simple, Rachel."

"They can if you let them be." Quinn finally looked Rachel directly in the eye. Rachel had been her rock through some of the hardest parts of her life. She was the highly dramatic one on a regular basis, but she always seemed to be the steady, calm one when Quinn needed her the most. Rachel's face was full of warmth and her smile gave Quinn butterflies. Rachel got up and pulled Quinn to her feet as well, holding both of her hands. "Just let things happen for themselves." And with that, Rachel moved her face close to Quinn's and kissed her hard, her arms pulling Quinn in tightly against her.

Feeling Rachel's lips against her melted away all of Quinn's worries. Nothing else seemed to matter. She wrapped her arms around the petite girls waist and allowed herself to deepen the kiss. Rachel willingly complied and the two stood on the porch, wrapped up in one another kissing passionately. Rachel's hands were in Quinn's hair, sending chills down her spine.

The girls only broke apart when Quinn heard giggling from inside the cabin. She turned her attention to see Kurt and Brittany staring out the window right at them. They apparently hadn't realized that the window was open. Realizing that Rachel and Quinn had spotted them, they burst into a bigger fit of giggle, holding onto one another for support.

"You guys suck," Quinn said, annoyed. She should have known it was too suspicious that they had been left alone on the porch. Kurt couldn't resist a good piece of gossip and apparently their sexual tension had been obvious to everybody besides Quinn. Quinn took Rachel's hand and headed inside, the moment obviously ruined.

None of their friends had actually gone to bed. Finn and Puck were immersed in a video game while Santana watched, insulting them frequently. Blaine was watching Kurt and Brittany, shaking his head as the two rolled on the floor overcome with silent giggles near the window they had been spying on Quinn and Rachel through.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag," said Rachel quietly to Quinn, tightening her grip on Quinn's hand and pulling her over to the couch. She immediately cuddled into Quinn, setting Quinn's senses on fire. Santana had stopped insulting the boys long enough to smirk at the pair.

"Great, now I'm going to have to put up with you guys being sickeningly adorable," said Santana. Quinn flipped her off and wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulder, breathing in her floral shampoo. Kurt and Brittany had finally pulled themselves together and settled onto the couch with Santana.

"Aww, now we can double date!" exclaimed Kurt, overly enthusiastic.

"Kurt, we're taking things slowly," Rachel said.

"Oh c'mon, you girls are totally cute and smitten. We need to go out before Rachel and I leave for New York!" It was obvious that there was no escape. Quinn should have been freaked out about how fast everything was moving and how public her newly discovered feelings were, but all she could think about is how content she was to have Rachel in her arms.

The exhaustion from the emotional day finally swept over Quinn. Rachel's eyes were closed as she laid in Quinn's arms.

"I'm going up to bed, Rach," Quinn whispered in her ear. Rachel lifted her head sleepily and nodded her agreement. They murmured goodnight to their friends and headed up to their room. They changed and washed up in silence and crawled into bed together.

"This feels different tonight," said Rachel softly. "Good, just different." She snuggled into Quinn's body. The sexual tension between them was nearly unbearable. Quinn kissed behind Rachel's ear and heard a small gasp escape the brunette's lips. The sound had fueled her desire and she began to kiss Rachel's neck, loving the feel of Rachel pushing herself into Quinn. She rolled over and caught Quinn's mouth with her own. Quinn lightly licked Rachel's lower lip, requesting access. Rachel complied and opened her mouth, deepening their kiss. Quinn could feel the kiss shooting through her body like a jolt of electricity and she couldn't get enough of Rachel's soft lips. Rachel pulled away slightly and kissed Quinn gently on the nose.

"Get some sleep, Quinnie," said Rachel, her hand stroking Quinn's cheek. Quinn groaned in frustration. She wanted to know all of Rachel. She respected Rachel slowing things down. They weren't even dating. She kissed Rachel lightly and pulled her in. She drifted to sleep with the warm body against her own.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Quinn awoke with her arms empty; Rachel was no longer in the bed. She could hear the shower running and Rachel's voice was drifting out. It made Quinn smile that Rachel was belting out lyrics in the shower. It was something she hadn't gotten to experience before and she laid there with her eyes closed, taking it in. Even while washing her hair, Rachel was perfectly in tune.

Without Rachel's warm body against her, Quinn began worrying about the future. In the past few days, the line between friendship and love had been greatly blurred. She cared about Rachel so much. But how would they be able to handle these feelings when they couldn't spend every moment together? Rachel had a dramatic flair to her and loved attention. Would Quinn be able to keep her happy from a different state? Would their relationship get in the way of them making new friends at college?

Her worries melted away as soon as she saw Rachel again. She was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, taking in Quinn sprawled on the bed. Quinn's jaw dropped at the sight. Rachel had nothing but a towel wrapped around her. Her skin was still damp and her hair hung loosely against her shoulders.

"You're beautiful." It was all Quinn could muster. She could feel herself getting turned on as she took in Rachel's slender legs. Rachel had made it obvious last night that they were taking the physical part of the relationship slowly, and it was torturing Quinn to lay there watching Rachel. She jumped up and headed for the shower herself, deciding a cold shower would be the best thing to cool off her desire to have her hands all over the tiny diva right now.

Once her body had calmed down, Quinn emerged from the shower to find the bedroom mercifully empty. She threw on a bikini and a sundress and headed downstairs to have some breakfast. Her friends were already sitting at the table, chatting animatedly.

"We only have 2 days left of real fun," sighed Kurt.

"Well let's make the best of it. Today is most definitely a lake day!" Rachel said enthusiastically. Quinn smiled at her as she poured herself a cup of coffee and joined the others. She sat down next to Puck who held his fist out.

"Way to go, Fabray," he said. Quinn rolled her eyes, but bumped her fist against his. "I totally never pegged you as a lady lover."

"That's because you were too busy knocking her up to notice that she was faking it," said Santana venomously.

"Don't mind her. Sanny is just bitchy because I was too tired to give her some sweet lady kisses last night," Brittany informed the group nonchalantly. Kurt and Blaine laughed and Santana glared at Brittany. Her face softened almost immediately when Brittany flashed her a big smile.

"We're wasting precious tanning time," said Kurt. "I'm heading down to the lake." They all agreed and gathered their bags to head down to the lake.

As soon as they were settled on the sand, Finn and Puck began throwing the football between them. Blaine set up the portable speakers and was flipping through the songs on his iPod while Kurt basked in the sun. Rachel and Brittany decided to head down the water's edge, leaving Santana and Quinn sitting on their towels.

"Glad to see you worked things out with the hobbit."

"C'mon, Santana, can't you at least try to be nice?"

"I've been freaking nice this entire trip. It's exhausting," retorted Santana.

"Brittany was right, you are cranky when you don't get laid." Santana slapped her friend's arm playfully.

"You're a jerk, you know that. But judging by how tightly wound you are this morning, I'm guessing you didn't get laid last night either." Santana's smug look had returned.

"We're just starting to make sense of our feelings, we didn't jump right into sex," Quinn said in her defense.

"Something is still bothering you though," Santana added knowingly. Quinn hated that Santana could read her mind.

"What do you think is going to happen when I head off to Yale and Rachel is in New York?" Quinn's face showed her anxiety at the situation.

"No idea, Q. But if anybody could figure out how to deal with it, it's you and Rach." Santana had obviously had enough chatting about Quinn's love life. She stuck her headphones into her ears and closed her eyes to tan.

Quinn sat up on her towel, hugging her knees as she watched Rachel and Brittany play on the water's edge. There was no question that Brittany was attractive. Her blond hair sparkled in the sunlight and her barely there bikini showed off her muscular dancing legs and ample chest. Yet her beauty seemed paled in comparison to the dark haired girl standing beside her. Rachel was six inches shorter than Brittany, but her petite features suited her. Her bikini was light blue and flattering against her dark locks. Her naturally olive skin had gotten darker from the summer hours tanning by Quinn's pool. There wasn't anything about her that Quinn didn't love. She sat for a long time, just smiling down on her friends as they splashed one another playfully, Finn and Puck having joined in.

Finn had been really quiet about last night's development with Rachel and Quinn. She figured his feelings were probably a little bruised. Rachel and Finn had ended things on civil terms, both understanding that their dreams didn't line up and that they weren't going to be able to make it work. Quinn knew that Finn hadn't given up hope on the tiny brunette. All week he had been gazing at her longingly. Him and Quinn had a developed a good friendship after their messy breakup and she felt like she owed it to him to talk about Rachel. She planned on asking him to talk alone later, away from the eyes of their prying friends. But right now, she just wanted to enjoy the day in the sun.

Quinn laid on her stomach and pulled her book out of her beach bag. She opened it to the dog-eared page and tried to immerse herself in the novel. More than anything, Quinn just wanted to be carefree and enjoy these last couple days of vacation. But no matter what she did to try to distract herself, the future with Rachel was the only thing on her mind. She needed something to shift her attention away from her worry. So she did the most logical thing: she walked to the lake, wrapped her arms around Rachel from behind and kissed her neck.

The afternoon passed by in a blur. All of them had spent most of it laughing and chasing one another, splashing in the water and just genuinely enjoying themselves. Quinn had made every excuse to get to put her hands on Rachel's bare skin throughout the day, each time feeling the excitement that came from being close to her. She was high off of Rachel Berry.

Eventually they dragged themselves back up to the cabin. Quinn and Rachel headed for their room to shower and change before dinner. But as soon as the door closed behind her, Quinn pinned Rachel up against the wall, kissing her furiously. All day they had flirted and mildly kissed, but Quinn craved more. She could feel the tingle of Rachel's reciprocating lips throughout her body, which urged her to kiss the small brunette even more passionately. They were fighting for dominance and it was taking all of her effort to not relinquish her control to the feisty diva. Rachel's hands were tangled in her hair, Quinn's hands on Rachel's bare hips.

"Quinn.."

"Mmm?" Quinn didn't want to pull her lips away from Rachel's neck.

"Quinn, we need to slow down." It made Quinn freeze. She would never push Rachel beyond her boundaries. She forced herself to pull her hungry mouth off Rachel's neck and looked her in the face. Rachel's face was full of longing, but Quinn knew that Rachel wasn't the kind of girl that would have sex with someone that she only kissed for the first time 24 hours ago, even if it was her best friend.

"I'm sorry, Rach. I just can't get over how amazing you feel against me." Quinn smiled bashfully down at the brunette.

"I know, Q. I'm just not ready to get carried away to that level yet." She could hear the hesitancy in Rachel's voice, like she was afraid that Quinn would be unhappy with her. Quinn took the girl's face in her hands and pecked her gently on the lips.

"I'm just happy to be around you." Quinn replied softly. "We should be getting ready for dinner anyway."

Quinn let Rachel shower first so that she could have another opportunity to see Rachel in just her towel and to hear her smooth voice filling the bedroom as she sang unabashed. Quinn hopped into the shower after her, making the water as cold as her skin could handle to ease some of sexual tension that had built up from the kiss with Rachel. She even found herself singing softly in her good mood, enjoying the acoustics of the shower.

Everybody else was already sitting out back for dinner. The boys had made hamburgers on the grill for everybody except Rachel, who was happily digging into her vegan burger. The red meat and cold beer on the mild August evening seemed like paradise. It was everything that Quinn loved about summer. She sighed happily, wishing that they didn't have to return to Lima in two days.

The evening was pretty subdued as they sat around the living room, American Pie 2 playing on the TV screen. Quinn could sense Rachel's dislike for the crude comedy and had to stifle a giggle thinking about how Rachel was probably watching Funny Girl inside of her head instead. Quinn knew it was one of Finn's favorite comedies, but he seemed to be hardly watching it.

"I'm gonna go for a walk with Finn. I'll catch you in a bit," whispered Quinn into Rachel's ear. The girl looked at her with a face that was begging her to not leave her in a room with Puck and the Stiffmeister, but nodded. Quinn kissed her forehead and prodded Finn, gesturing him to meet her outside.

"What's up, Quinn?" Finn was obviously confused to find himself alone with Quinn willingly. It had been a long time since Quinn had allowed this.

"She did care about you, you know." It wasn't what Quinn had planned on saying, but it slipped out of her mouth before she could even think.

"Doesn't seem like it. I wanted to make the distance work, but she was too set on her dreams and I had to respect that she needed to focus on it without trying to keep up our relationship. But then all of a sudden she's fine with being with someone that isn't following her to NY either." Quinn could clearly hear the hurt in Finn's voice.

"It's not like that, Finn. She was so upset when you guys decided to end things. She contemplated how to make the distance work. But you'll be in boot camp without access to even a phone for two months. Then who knows where you will be? You know how intense she can be, she wouldn't be able to focus on her dream and maintaining a really distant relationship."

"So it's better to heal the apparent pain by hooking up with her best friend?" His comment stung, making Quinn feel like she was just a rebound for Rachel.

"That's not the case, Finn. I don't even know what's going on with Rachel and I. I know I have feelings for her that I didn't realize were there before. I know that she brings out the best in me. But I would be lying to you if I told you that I thought that Rachel and I were going to be able to have this amazing relationship when we leave for college. It's so new, but I fell like we're not even getting time to figure out what's going on before we're ripped apart. You guys had time to work through it before it came to a decision."

"There was no decision on my part. Nothing is allowed to be in the way of Rachel and Broadway. Yet she has no problem getting wrapped up with you a week away from moving to New York. So yeah, I'm not going to sit her and fist bump and praise you for getting with Rachel." He turned and headed back inside.

Quinn sat down on the edge of the porch, taking in what Finn had said. Was she kidding herself into thinking that anything would happen with Rachel once they left the blissful vacation? She knew how serious Rachel was about her future, it was the main topic all summer. But the girls had already promised to visit one another on weekends when they could when they were strictly just friends. Rachel had already priced out the buses and trains that would transport them between New Haven and Grand Central Station.

She knew Rachel had cared for Finn, but their relationship had so many cracks that their very separate futures made the breakup inevitable in Quinn's eyes. But obviously Finn thought their love was deep enough to have overcome the odds and made it work. At the time, Rachel had made it seem like it was a mutual decision to end things and remain friends before she headed to New York and him to the Army. Now Quinn was finding out that it was all on Rachel's terms. Would their relationship be the same way?

Knowing she couldn't hide forever, Quinn headed back inside. Finn was double fisting beers and laughing at the movie. Santana and Brittany seemed to have disappeared. Rachel was still watching the movie, the look of disgust etched deeply on her adorable face. Quinn melted just looking at her. She wanted to be annoyed with Rachel for how she had treated Finn, for how she believed she would be treated in the near future. But instead she found herself pulled towards the girl like a magnet and was on the couch cuddled up against her once again.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

They watched the rest of the movie in silence with Quinn lighting stroking the brunette's hair. The minute it finished, Puck jumped up to replace it with American Wedding. Seeing Rachel's disgusted face, Quinn announced that she was going to bed. Taking the escape, Rachel decided to join her.

Quinn knew she had to talk to Rachel about Finn, but she didn't know how to do so. She couldn't scold Rachel for breaking up with Finn; it had been the best thing for their futures, even if Finn didn't see it like that.

Once they were settled into bed, Rachel could see the distraction behind Quinn's eyes.

"What's wrong, Quinnie?" she asked quietly, nuzzling into Quinn's neck.

"I know how important your future is to you, Rach. You broke up with Finn so you could focus on your dreams when you got to New York. Your dreams have always come first, I've always known that. But now I'm having trouble seeing how I fit into your life in New York." It came out harsher than Quinn had meant it.

"Finn and I needed to break up and you know it. There's no way either of us would have been able to handle the long distance relationship."

"But you're talking about seeing where things go with us and we're going to be long distance too, Rachel!" Quinn felt her insecurities seeping out. She never let her guard down like this.

"There's a difference." Quinn contemplated this, trying to figure out what was different.

"I don't get it, Rachel. You can toss away a year long relationship with a guy you seemed to have really loved. Yet you are being optimistic that I'm not going to distract you from your dreams? Because I can't promise that I won't. I know I want to see you and talk to you as much as possible. I just don't want whatever this is between us to hold you back."

"You're so thick sometimes, Quinn. We're best friends and you already knew that I wanted to keep our relationship strong when we separated and was planning to visit. Finn and I never had that deep friendship to build from. You understand what it's like to have dreams; I can see it in your eyes every time you mention your future at Yale. We're going through this together, whereas Finn and I could never have that." Rachel gazed deeply into Quinn's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I have no right to be so insecure about this. We haven't even been dealing with this for a week and I'm already pressuring you about where things are going." Rachel made Quinn feel so vulnerable. She always kept people at arm's length. Even as her best friend, Rachel often didn't get to see the insecure side of Quinn Fabray.

"Just trust me when I say that we're going to be okay, Q. No matter what, we have a great friendship and this isn't going to change that."

"I trust you." She met Rachel's lips with her own in a sweet kiss. As much as she wanted to, she didn't deepen the kiss. Instead, she pulled the smaller girl against her and they drifted off to sleep in one another's arms.

The next morning Quinn woke up to Rachel still cuddled tightly in her arms. Her body was warm against Quinn and she snuggled into Rachel, taking in the sweet smell of her shampoo. In all of the times Quinn had slept with Rachel, this was the first time she was awake before the diva. Quinn was getting to see a whole new side of Rachel on this vacation. In Lima, Rachel thrived on her rigid routine and organization. All summer Quinn had been trying to get Rachel to relax to no avail. But being away had let Rachel loosen up more than Quinn could have ever imagined possible. She looked so peaceful.

It was like though Rachel could read Quinn's mind as she sprung up, surprising Quinn.

"What time is it?" she asked quickly.

"It's only 8, Rach. You seriously never sleep in, do you?" Quinn giggled at the sight of Rachel checking the clock to make sure that Quinn was right.

"I'm late for my run." Rachel tried to get out of the bed, but Quinn pulled her back down on top of her, kissing her. She could feel Rachel's anxiety about getting up and starting her day, which made her hold Rachel tighter, refusing to let Rachel out of her grip until the smaller girl relaxed and gave into Quinn's insistent kisses. She allowed her body to rest on top of Quinn's and gave into the kiss. She ran her tongue along Quinn's bottom lip, eliciting a soft moan from the blonde girl beneath her. Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel's body, holding her close to her, hands wandering up and down Rachel's sides. She wanted to feel all of the girl and tentatively fingered the hem of Rachel's t-shirt. When she wasn't denied access, she slipped her hands under the edge of the shirt, letting her hands explore the soft skin of Rachel's stomach and ran her nails along Rachel's spine. Rachel was kissing her furiously, her tongue flitting into Quinn's mouth, exciting all of her senses. Quinn let her hands wander up Rachel's body until she was palming Rachel's boob over her bra. The brunette moaned into Quinn's mouth at the sensation.

"Quinn, we said we'd take it slow." Her actions didn't match her words as she kissed Quinn's neck, making the blonde whimper softly. Quinn's hand was still rubbing softly on Rachel's breast, feeling the nipple get hard through the material. Despite the sound of pleasure that escaped Rachel's lips, she sat up, straddling Quinn's hips, taking in the girl under her with a smile.

"Sorry, it's hard to resist you," Quinn said, smiling innocently up at the brunette. Rachel leaned down and kissed her gently, her hand on Quinn's warm cheek.

"We have plenty of time to get to know each other's bodies, Quinn. It'll be worth the wait. I promise." Quinn sighed as Rachel climbed off of her.

"Let me take you out to dinner tonight." Rachel spun around to face Quinn.

"Are you asking me to go on a date with you, Quinn Fabray?" Quinn blushed furiously and nodded.

"I'd love to go with you. I even have the perfect dress to wear," Rachel responded, winking at Quinn as she disappeared into the bathroom. Quinn sighed and pulled herself out of the bed as well, excited about their impending date that evening.

The girls got dressed for a day at the lake and headed downstairs. The smell of pancakes wafted from the kitchen and Quinn's stomach growled hungrily. Rachel laughed and grabbed her hand as they walked into the kitchen. Blaine was flipping pancakes on the stove while Kurt mixed the batter next to him.

"Damn, it smells good in here!" Santana exclaimed as she walked in, her pinky linked with Brittany's and both of them with obvious sex hair. "I've worked up a good appetite this morning!" Kurt rolled his eyes dramatically at her.

"I'm kind of full actually," stated Brittany.

"That was way too much information, Britt," said Kurt, his nose wrinkled in disgust. Santana's face was smug and she stuck her tongue out at Kurt while reaching past him to grab the plate of pancakes before walking out of the room. Stomach still growling, Quinn took her chances and followed her sex addicted friends into the dining room.

Santana had a goofy smile on her face that she tried to hide as soon as she saw Quinn in the doorway. Quinn smirked at her friend, amused at Santana's look of discomfort for being caught in a good mood. Santana was really beautiful, but it showed so much more when her face softened. The only time Quinn had really seen Santana like that was around Brittany. The two complemented one another well. Quinn had always had some control over Santana from her days as HBIC, but Santana usually gave into Quinn because Brittany was there to help Santana see that it was the right thing to do.

Kurt, Blaine, and Rachel joined them, laughing and carrying mugs of coffee. Rachel put one in front of Quinn and she thanked her, more absorbed in Rachel's carefree smile than her need for caffeine in the morning. They ate in relative silence with Quinn and Santana in a silent pancake eating competition. Quinn was used to Santana's ridiculous competitive nature and she loved the challenge. Rachel's eyes were wide at amazement with the number of pancakes that were disappearing in front of the blonde. Quinn could feel herself getting beyond full and was self-conscious at the brunette watching her eat.

"Fine, San, I give up," pouted Quinn, tossing her fork down onto her plate that contained her eighth pancake. Santana fist pumped and finished off the pancake that was sitting in front of her. Brittany giggled at the childish antics of her two childhood friends.

Quinn smiled sheepishly at Rachel who still looked like she didn't believe what had just happened. She took her hand and pulled her from the table.

"I had no idea that you had the ability to eat like that." Rachel really seemed stunned.

"It started freshman year. Sylvester would kill us at Saturday practices and we often didn't get a break until dinner, so we would be starving. A bunch of us would get food right after practice and Santana and I would challenge one another. Now sometimes it just happens out of nowhere." Quinn smiled at the memories of sitting at the diner with Brittany and Santana after those long practices, racing Santana to be the first to empty her plate. Quinn had always had a healthy appetite, but she always had cheerleading to keep her in shape. Controlling her eating had been the hardest part of being pregnant because she no longer had Cheerio workouts to balance out her eating habits.

Rachel just nodded as Quinn reminisced. They gathered their bags and headed for the lake. The rest of their friends were still up at the cabin and the girls basked in the alone time they had, kissing and giggling as they laid close to one another on their towels.

Quinn felt like this vacation had to be a dream. If they had been in Lima, there would have never been this step with Rachel. Quinn probably wouldn't have even opened her eyes to her feelings towards Rachel. She couldn't help but wonder if they would be able to keep the thrill when they headed back to Lima tomorrow. Her saving grace was that they would be leaving the small world of Lima in a week, away from the judgmental eyes. Quinn had no idea how her mom would take to her youngest daughter being a lesbian. Their relationship had changed so much since she gave up Beth and her father left. She figured that her and Rachel could get through a week without giving away the secret so that Quinn would have some time to deal with how she would tell her mother.

But right now, she wanted to just focus on Rachel. She had the diva's fingers entwined with hers as they listened to Rachel's iPod together. Quinn was glad to spend the rest of the day surrounded by her closest friends on their last day of vacation, but part of her wished she could whisk Rachel away so they could be alone before reality set in tomorrow.

As the late afternoon haze set in, they headed back up to the cabin. They decided to all do their own thing early for dinner so that they could still have time to hang out together for their last night of vacation. Finn and Puck were heading to a burger joint and the arcade, Blaine was taking Kurt out, and Santana and Brittany seemed more than happy to stay back and have the place to themselves for a few hours.

Quinn was giddy with excitement to take Rachel out that night. She brought all of her stuff, including ten possible outfit choices, into Santana and Brittany's room to get ready. She and Rachel had agreed to get ready separately and Quinn was freaking out.

"Seriously, Q, she's your best friend. She's seen you when you're hung over as hell and we all know that's not a pretty sight." Santana seemed more inclined to push the rest of them out the door as fast as possible rather than helping Quinn get ready.

"Why not this dress, Quinn? It brings out your eyes." Brittany was standing by the bed, holding up one of Quinn's favorite sundresses.

"She's seen me wear it before."

"But she's going to be looking at you differently in it this time." Quinn didn't know where Brittany got this knack for relationships, but she was right. Rachel could show up in one of her animal sweaters tonight and Quinn would still be looking at her completely differently than she had all the times Rachel had worn them to school before they were friends.

"Fine, but I need your help with my hair and makeup." Brittany was more than willing to help out and her and Quinn giggled about the date while Brittany put the finishing touches on Quinn's smoky eye makeup.

"What do you think, San?" Brittany forced Santana to pull herself away from her magazine to look at Quinn's transformation.

"You're good at that, B. Who would have known that you could make a prude look sexy?" she smiled playfully at the blondes.

"I need to go help Rachel now. Quinn, you stay put until I say so!" Brittany ordered Quinn as she headed to the room next door. Quinn sat down carefully on the bed, not wanting to wrinkle her dress.

"Will you relax?" Santana moaned at her friend, who was fidgeting nervously on the bed.

"How does this work, San? I've always let the boy lead on dates and I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Quinnie, you're so ridiculous sometimes. You aren't going out with a stranger, you're going out with Berry. I'm still not completely sure why, but you are. It's like going out to dinner with her when you were friends, except now you get to reap the benefits of getting physical for buying her a meal."

"Why are you so crude? Rachel and I are not sleeping together yet."

"That doesn't mean you don't want to. Enough dinners and you'll be granted access." Quinn tossed a pillow at Santana.

A minute later the door swung open and Rachel Berry was standing there looking unbelievably sexy in the green dress with Brittany beaming at her handiwork from behind Rachel.

Quinn found herself speechless at the sight of Rachel in front of her. Brittany had done an amazing job with her makeup. Her hair was falling gracefully on her shoulders. The dress hugged Rachel in all the right places. The heels showed off the definition of her legs.

"You look amazing," breathed Quinn, not taking her eyes off of Rachel. She could see that Rachel was nervous and she walked over to the brunette. Feeling Santana and Brittany's eyes on them, she steered Rachel out of the room, calling goodbye to her friends.

"You look beautiful, Quinn."

"You can thank Brittany for that. I was too busy being a nervous wreck." She could feel the pink tinge appear on her cheeks for admitting it.

"So was I. It's new and exciting, but I have no doubt that it will be the best first date I have ever been on." Rachel took Quinn's hand and they headed out the door.

The conversation was light on the way to the restaurant Quinn had picked out of the listings that had been left in the cabin. She had to make a few calls to make sure that they had vegan options on the menu, but it was supposed to be a beautiful place about twenty minutes away that overlooked the lake.

When they pulled up, Quinn jumped out to open Rachel's door. Rachel giggled appreciatively at Quinn's efforts to be the perfect, chivalrous date. They held hands and walked into the restaurant. It was still early, so they were able to get a table on the deck with a fantastic view of the lake. Quinn pulled Rachel's seat out for her and waited for her to be settled before she sat down across from her.

"This is perfect, Quinn. Thank you." Rachel gazed into Quinn's eyes.

"I'd do anything for you, Rachel." She really meant it. Making Rachel happy was all she ever wanted to do. Quinn forced herself to tear her eyes away from the beautiful girl in order to read the menu.

Santana was right about it still being the same Rachel. They laughed and talked just like they always did. She had always hated first dates with the awkwardness and the lull in conversation. But that didn't happen with Rachel. They could skip awkward questions about one another's interests since they already knew each other so well. Quinn found more than ever she was engulfed with interest in everything Rachel had to say. She had always found the girl amusing with her over the top enthusiasm for everything musical, but Quinn was realizing more and more that while Rachel's first passion was music, she had so many more layers and she wanted to know every single one of them.

When the bill came, Quinn picked it up quickly and Rachel blushed, thanking Quinn for dinner. The sun was setting over the lake, painting the cloudless sky with beautiful shades of orange and pink. Quinn stood up and held her hand out for Rachel as they left the restaurant, the smaller girl quickly taking it and making Quinn's heart skip a beat.

They pulled into the gravel driveway of the cabin and Quinn turned off the car. Quinn could feel Rachel's eyes on her and turned to look back at her.

"This was the best date I've ever been on. Thanks for a wonderful night, Quinn."

"It's not over yet," replied Quinn, the corner of her mouth twitching into a small smile.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked, obviously confused. Quinn leaned over and kissed Rachel softly on the mouth. The brunette gasped at the touch of Quinn's lips to hers and let herself fall into the kiss. It started to get heated and Quinn forced herself to pull back.

"A successful date is never over until you get the goodnight kiss," Quinn said, explaining.

"Well I hope I get a goodnight kiss in bed later too," said Rachel, a wide smile on her face. She leaned in and kissed Quinn gently before they headed into the cabin to spend the evening with their best friends.

They walked in to find their friends in the living room absorbed in a drinking game. After changing into comfortable clothes, Quinn grabbed herself a beer and Rachel a wine cooler and settled in the living room next to Puck. Puck and Finn were already rowdy, the empty beer bottles as proof of their activities. They played round after round of the game, getting progressively drunk, egging one another on. Quinn was sitting across from Rachel and she found herself craving the touch of the smaller girl. She tried to ignore her longing for the feel of Rachel's bare skin as she drank her beer and focused on the game.

Eventually the game sizzled out and Quinn found herself cuddled up between Puck and Blaine as they all sat and talked. They whined about returning to Lima in the morning and talked excitedly about the future. Before they all headed to bed, they made a pact to return to the lake each summer. They wanted at least one week a year where they forced themselves to return, no matter how far they were spread out during the rest of the year. Quinn hoped they stuck with it. She could already see them there next summer, a year older and wiser from their adventures. Another summer with Rachel in her arms.

Drunk and exhausted, they cleaned up the living room and headed up to bed. Quinn was brushing her teeth when the moans in the next room started. She groaned at the sounds of Santana and Brittany going at it without caring how loud they got. She was sexually frustrated from the intense arousal that coursed through her body at Rachel's every touch. Things with Rachel were great and she didn't want to rush into things that they weren't ready for, but hearing Santana moan as Brittany obviously pleasured her was causing Quinn to be even more turned on.

She climbed into bed next to Rachel, who was gazing at the ceiling and taking in the rambunctious activities next door. Quinn curled her body against the brunette, her skin burning at the contact.

"We could totally give them a run for their money," Quinn said jokingly. Rachel looked into Quinn's eyes lovingly.

"That is a very tempting offer, but I will give Santana and Brittany the satisfaction of being the loudest sex partners in the cabin this year." Rachel was smiling slightly at her own joke. "You can give me that goodnight kiss though, Quinn Fabray."

It was all the permission Quinn needed to kiss her long and hard. Her arms snaked around the diva's waist, pulling her close and their mouths fought for dominance, tongues darting against one another. Quinn's senses were on fire. She moaned as Rachel kissed down the side of her face and began kissing her neck, finding her pulse point and running her tongue along it. She pushed her body against Rachel's, desperate for any contact.

In an instinctual move, Quinn rolled on top of Rachel, straddling her hips and kissing her deeply. She couldn't keep the passion out of her kiss, wanting to taste every inch of Rachel's mouth. Her hands entangled in Rachel's dark locks, Rachel's around her waist, pulling her close so that their abdomens were touching. As Rachel began her attack on Quinn's neck again, Quinn couldn't help but let out a moan and thrust her hips down against Rachel. Rachel moaned slightly at the contact and Quinn rocked her hips against the brunette, the friction making her body quiver.

"Quinn.." Rachel's voice dripped with lust and anxiety all at once. It made Quinn freeze, looking Rachel right in the eyes. "Quinn I want you so badly, but we really need to deal with our feelings and relationship before we get too involved physically."

"You're right, Rach," said Quinn, sighing softly. "You against me just gets me so worked up that it's hard to hold onto boundaries."

"I feel the same way, Quinn." Quinn leaned down and kissed Rachel tenderly before rolling off of her onto the bed. "We'll have it all someday, I just know it." With that, Quinn snuggled into her and they drifted off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The morning came way too quickly. Quinn had no interest in packing everything up to head back to Lima. This week had been too perfect. Being back home would most definitely have an effect on the fairytale she had with Rachel. Plus, at the end of next week Quinn would be moving into her dorm in New Haven while Rachel set up her apartment in New York City with Kurt.

Rachel was awake before Quinn, but had remained cuddled up with the blonde, taking in her beauty as she slept. She loved the feeling of waking up in Quinn's arms. They were protective, yet not smothering. She loved the soft skin and the smell of her lingering perfume and the way her chest rose and fell as she breathed.

Quinn stirred in her arms and Rachel leaned forward to kiss the tip of the blonde's nose.

"Mmm, what a great way to wake up," muttered Quinn, her eyes still closed. Rachel could help but smile at the beautiful girl laying in her arms and kissed Quinn lightly on her lips. They laid there enjoying the sensation of waking up together, breaking the silence only by the sounds of their lips against one another.

They could hear that Santana and Brittany had woken up next door. While it definitely was not the loud drunken sex they had last night, their moans of pleasure were still very much discernable through the thin walls.

"They really are like high school boys," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. She kissed Rachel on the forehead and forced herself to get out of bed.

Quinn popped her iPod into the dock. The Neon Trees came on and she sang along softball as she began to pack. When Rachel joined her for the chorus, Quinn looked at her in amazement.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I have an appreciation for songs that do not have ties to musical theater, Quinn," Rachel said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Appreciating it and being able to sing all of the words perfectly in key are vastly different," Quinn stated simply.

"I like to expose myself to all genres of music on a regular basis to become an excellent, well-rounded performer." Rachel was back to her serious self. Quinn took her hand and twirled her around as they sang along. When it finished, Quinn brought the hand to her lips. The gesture made Rachel giggle and the girls went back to packing cheerfully.

An hour later they had the room completely packed. Quinn made Rachel sit on her duffel bags in order to convince the zippers to close. She convinced Puck to carry her bags downstairs for her. They all had a quick breakfast and packed up downstairs. Before long, they were standing on the front porch, locking the door behind them.

"We'll be back next year," said Rachel optimistically. They took one last look at the cabin, piled into the cars, and headed for home. Once they were settled in the backseat, Quinn turned to Rachel, knowing that they needed to discuss the terms of their relationship before they returned to Lima.

"Rach?" she said timidly.

"Yeah, Quinn?"

"I'm really glad this week happened and I'm excited to see where things go, but I'm not ready for everybody to know about us. It's not that I'm ashamed of you, it's just that.."

"Quinn, it's fine," Rachel interrupted. "We said we're taking it slow. I'm not expecting you to get home and profess your love to me. I know that you've just managed to start rebuilding your relationship with your mom. So for now, we don't need to tell anybody anything. As far as our parents are concerned, we're just good friends." Rachel could see the anxiety melt away from Quinn's beautiful face.

"Thanks for understanding, Rachel," Quinn said quietly.

"This doesn't mean that I'm not going to kiss you every time I get you alone, however," answered Rachel with a devilish grin. Quinn leaned over and kissed her.

"No funny business in my backseat!" called Santana from the driver's seat.

"We had to endure you moaning Britt's name through our wall twice in less than 12 hours and you're going to scold me for kissing?" Quinn asked incredulously.

"I don't want you ruining my leather seats!" protested Santana.

"Although the leather does feel good when you're naked," added Brittany.

"Oh god, we're sitting in their sex spot! Please don't give me anymore bad visuals, Britt!" exclaimed Quinn which Santana laughed at the look of horror on her friend's face.

Before long, they were pulling onto Quinn's block. She leaned over and kissed Rachel once more before they reached her house.

"Come over tonight after dinner?" Quinn whispered in Rachel's ear as they embraced. Rachel grinned and nodded enthusiastically. Quinn hopped out of the car, said goodbye to her friends, and dragged the heavy bags into the house.

Dropping her stuff just inside the door, Quinn headed into the kitchen to find her mom sitting at the table reading the newspaper.

"Quinnie!" Her mom stood up quickly and pulled her youngest daughter into a hug. "I missed you, sweetie."

"Missed you too, Mom," replied Quinn, mumbling into her mom's shoulder. Things had changed so much since her parents had gotten divorced. She knew that her mom was working really hard to make the house a home again.

"I was going to make lasagna for dinner. How does that sound?" Quinn's mom asked, sitting back down at the table.

"Perfect, Mom. I'm going to unpack and such."

"Alright, sweetie. I'll call you for dinner later." Quinn lugged her bags upstairs and collapsed on her bed. She pulled her phone and quickly typed out a message.

**I miss you already.**

Quinn's buzzed almost immediately with a response from Rachel.

**Miss you too Q. But I'm all yours after dinner :)**

**I can't wait. I'll call you when I'm done?**

**Sounds perfect.**

Quinn booted up her laptop and laid on her bed making a new playlist. When she finished, she sang as she unpacked, her heart filled with happiness and her speakers blaring songs that made her think of Rachel.

A few hours later, her mom knocked on the door. Quinn told her to come in and she opened the door to find her daughter working on packing up her room to go to Yale, her smile glowing as she sang along to the music.

"Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes." Judy watched her daughter skip around the room collecting her belongings. She didn't think she had ever seen Quinn so happy and definitely not since Beth was born and Quinn had given her up. It made her happy to see that Quinn seemed to be excited about college and moving on with her life after all the suffering she had done over the past couple of years.

"Alright, I'll be down in a couple of minutes," said Quinn happily.

When Quinn appeared downstairs, she found her mom sitting at the dining room table with a tray of lasagna and a bowl of salad sitting in front of her. Quinn sat down next to her, waited for her mom's prayer, and then dug in hungrily.

"So tell me about your trip, Quinnie," Judy said, filling her own plate. Quinn couldn't help but blush at the memories of passionate kisses with Rachel.

"It was awesome, we had a really great time." She knew her mom wanted more details so she told her about the lake and the view and the town, carefully avoiding the parts that involved kissing and drinking. Judy seemed genuinely interested. Quinn was still getting used to the improvement in her relationship with her mom since the divorce.

"You started packing for Yale today I see," Judy added after talk of the trip subsided.

"Yeah, I can't believe it's only a week away. I still have so much to do and so much to get. I think I'm going shopping with the girls tomorrow so we can finish getting the things we need for our dorm rooms."

"I can't believe my little Quinnie is going to Yale. It seems like a dream that you're all grown up." Judy had tears shining in her eyes.

"I'm definitely not a little girl anymore," Quinn said quietly. They avoided the topic for the rest of dinner, instead sticking to small talk. When they finished eating, Quinn cleared the table and washed the dishes before running to her room to call Rachel.

As soon as the door was closed and locked behind her, Quinn hit the button on her phone and listened to it ring.

"Hello?" Rachel answered.

"Hey, you!"

"Hey, Quinn! Are you done with dinner finally? I made my dads eat early because I wanted to make sure I got to see you." Rachel was talking in her typical fast pace.

"Yeah, we just got done. Do you want to come over here? My room is a disaster, I started packing for Yale finally."

"Yeah, I'll come to you. Goodness knows that you could use someone to help you pack. Dorm rooms do not have walk in closets, there is no way you're going to be able to bring all of your wardrobe."

"Don't remind me. It's the only con I had on my list for going to Yale." She heard Rachel giggle on the other end.

"I'll see you in 10 minutes, Q."

"Alright, just come on up to my room. Bye." They hung up and Quinn looked around at the mess. She had half open boxed and suitcases all over her room. Ignoring it all, she reached under her bed and pulled out an old shoe box. Inside it were the mementos she had collected since middle school. She flipped through the artifacts, glancing a picture of her and her friends dressed up for their first school dance in seventh grade, a picture of her Santana, and Brittany on the first day they got their Cheerio uniforms, a ticket stub from her first date with Finn, and a copy of a sonogram from when she was pregnant with Beth. For 6 years, the box had held proof of Quinn's best and worst times. She reached into her bag and pulled out a receipt. On the back she wrote "First Date with Rachel" and added it to the collection. As she sat there sifting through her memories, the door opened and Rachel came through the door.

"Hey!" Quinn said excitedly. Rachel closed the door and jumped onto the bed with Quinn.

"Hey, yourself," said Rachel, leaning over and kissing Quinn's cheek. It was the first contact they had since returning back to reality and it felt just as wonderful as it had at the cabin. Quinn smiled affectionately at her. "What's in the box?" asked Rachel curiously.

"Just some old things." She had never let anybody look at her memory box. However, when Rachel leaned over and pulled out a picture of Quinn and Beth, Quinn didn't stop her.

"That was the first time I ever held her," Quinn said softly, willing herself to not cry.

"You did the right thing, Quinn. You gave her an amazing life and you get to have an amazing future too." Quinn knew Rachel was right, but it still hurt to think about the daughter she had given up two years ago.

"I know. But let's look at good memories instead." She spent an hour pulling out different pictures and scraps of memories, telling Rachel about each one. Quinn could tell that Rachel was enjoying hearing about Quinn's past, a past that she was never a part of. "I wish you were in this box more. All I have is our graduation picture together and the receipt from dinner the other night to show for our life before college."

"Just because I'm not a huge part of your past doesn't mean I won't be a big piece of your box from now on." Rachel spoke so matter-of-factly. She didn't even seem bothered that while Quinn was making these memories, Quinn was being awful to her.

"I know that. But I just know that you could have filled a whole box if I hadn't been such a bitch."

"Leave it in the past, Quinn." Quinn knew not to push Rachel on this. Rachel hated when Quinn continually apologized for the way she had treated the brunette.

Quinn put the lid back on the box and placed it on her nightstand so that she could move closer to Rachel. She took Rachel's face in her hands and kissed her on the lips, pulling Rachel down onto the bed on top of her. Rachel gave in easily, letting her petite body rest against Quinn's, her hands tangled in Quinn's hair. Quinn's hands were wrapped around the small girl on top of her, her tongue darting into her mouth urgently. She rolled, putting Rachel on her back on Quinn's four poster and Quinn straddling her. Rachel pulled her in to kiss her. Quinn could feel Rachel's soft hands on her skin just under the hem of her shirt. The touch made her stomach flutter and she kissed Rachel hard before moving her mouth to kiss the brunette's neck.

"Quinn, your mom is home," Rachel said into Quinn's hair.

"So? We just need to be quiet." Quinn mumbled between kisses. She felt the brunette stiffen underneath her and she pulled herself away from Rachel's neck.

"I don't want our first time to be like this." Quinn hated how responsible Rachel was.

"How can you not get wrapped up in the moment, Rach?" Quinn asked, frustrated. Her heart was pounding and she ached in her core, craving Rachel's touch.

"I've had a lot of practice. Believe me, you're extremely hard to say no to." Quinn sighed and rolled onto the bed next to Rachel.

"Well can we at least watch a movie and cuddle?" Rachel nodded and Quinn hopped up to pick a movie from her extensive collection of romantic comedies. Once the movie was set up, she settled back in next to Rachel.

They laid there quietly for a while, watching intently with their fingers entwined and Rachel's head on Quinn's chest. It was so peaceful and Quinn wished things could stay this simple forever.

"Rach, what's going to happen when we leave at the end of the week?" The words of worry slipped out before Quinn could swallow them.

"We said we were going to just let things play out."

"That doesn't sound promising." Quinn said, pouting.

"Look, Quinn, I really care about you. You make me feel things I've never felt before. But I don't want to hold you back."

"So this is just going to end when we leave?" Quinn asked angrily, interrupting Rachel.

"I never said that. What I was going to say was that this whole situation is really new and sudden and we need to take it slow. Long distance fails more times than it succeeds and we would be kidding ourselves if we said we'll be an exception without even giving our relationship a chance to grow."

"I don't know what you're trying to say, Rach."

"Let's enjoy this week. Once we're away, I have no idea what to expect. But I do know that you're on my mind all of the time and that I want to make this work. However, jumping into something exclusive right away when we haven't even experienced the distance would be rash. So can we try to casually date while we adjust to school and then re-evaluate in a few weeks?"

"So you want to date other people in New York and date me when it's convenient?" Quinn could feel her anger and frustration rising.

"No, Quinn, I don't want to date other people. I want to give us both a chance to adjust to college life and meet new people and make new friends without worrying about our relationship all of the time. You're the only one I want, but we need to settle into college before we can consider putting such a large effort into being in a successful long distance relationship. So we're still taking it slow. But I'll think about you all of the time and we'll talk as much as we can and in a few weeks when we're settled, I'll come to New Haven and we'll talk about our relationship then. Is that fair?"

Quinn was silent for a few minutes, taking in everything Rachel had said.

"I want to be with you, Rachel."

"You are with me, but we still shouldn't rush into this."

"Okay. Well, as much as I want us to be together completely, I'll do anything that means that someday I'll get you all to myself."

"We'll get there, Q. I just don't want us to make the mistakes that would ruin our chances."

"I know." Quinn stroked the brunette's hair when she rested back against Quinn, seemingly content with the decision that had been made. Quinn closed her eyes, taking in the scent of Rachel and her body relaxed with contentment.

Quinn awoke with a start to Rachel nudging her shoulder.

"Quinn, I need to go home. It's late." Quinn groaned and opened her eyes. Rachel's hair was messy from laying on Quinn.

"But I don't want you to go. Sleep with me."

"You know that I would love that. However, you need to get a good night's sleep and my dads would kill me. They are insisting on a family breakfast tomorrow morning before they go to work. I will see you for shopping tomorrow, I promise." She kissed Quinn lightly and smiled at the blonde. "Night, pretty girl."

"Night, Rach." Quinn said, pouting slightly. Rachel gave her one more kiss and headed out of Quinn's room.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry that it has been a couple of days. Things got hectic with work and didn't leave me with any time! Hope you enjoy the next chapter :)**

**Chapter 13**

Quinn lay on her bed for a long time thinking about her conversation with Rachel. She couldn't understand how Rachel could be so collected in her thoughts, seemingly not worried about what the future held for them. Quinn knew that Rachel wanted Quinn to not get hung up so that she could love Yale and make friends, but Quinn didn't know how she was going to do that when all she could think about was Rachel. It would be easy for Rachel. She was going to a school with hundreds of kids that were just like her. Plus, she got to live with Kurt. All Quinn knew about her roommate was that her name was Kiley and she was from New Jersey.

**I'm home safely. Sleep tight, Quinn.**

Such a simple message made Quinn's heart go into overdrive. She imagined Rachel getting ready for bed, humming some song from a musical. When she left for Yale, this is all she would have. She could say goodnight to Rachel via text and then just imagine what the brunette was doing while lying in her own bed eighty miles away.

Eighty miles wasn't too far. It was a two hour ride without traffic. But it was still distance, whether it was only eighty miles or an ocean that separated them. She knew she didn't have a choice though. It was either deal with the distance or lose Rachel and she couldn't lose Rachel.

Quinn awoke to the sun streaming through her window. She was still dressed from last night, having fallen asleep without changing into pajamas. She dragged herself into her bathroom and got into the shower. The warm water pounded down onto her exhausted body. She went through the motions of washing and got out, wrapped her towel around her and walked back into her room.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Quinn said in surprise, taking in the small brunette sitting stiffly on her bed. Quinn self-consciously tightened her towel around herself.

"We're going shopping today, remember?" Rachel said, unconcerned.

"I thought we were meeting at the mall in two hours."

"Well I was ready early, so I figured we could drive together. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." Rachel stood up to leave.

"Wait, Rach. You don't have to go; I was just surprised to see you." Quinn smiled shyly at her and Rachel settled back down. "Let me just put something on." She walked into her closet and got dressed quickly.

A few minutes she emerged from her closet fully dressed, toweling off her wet hair. Rachel was organizing Quinn's boxes and labeling them.

"What are you doing, Rachel?" Quinn asked, amused at the sight.

"It will be so much more efficient if you pack by category, rather than just putting everything in a random box."

"Why don't you just pack everything for me? You know I can't do it up to your perfectionist standards." Rachel looked up at her, gauging the situation to see if Quinn was kidding.

"I know, I'm just teasing you. I appreciate your help in trying to make me an organized, non-procrastinating human being." Her response elicited a small smile from Rachel. "But it can wait, I'm starving." Rachel followed the blonde from the room.

Quinn poured herself a bowl of Cocoa Puffs and plopped down next to Rachel at the kitchen table.

"How do you stay so skinny with your terrible eating habits?" inquired Rachel curiously.

"A lot of Cheerio workouts and I was blessed by good genes for a high metabolism," said Quinn, shoving a big spoonful of the sugary cereal into her mouth. Rachel just shook her head and flipped through the newspaper that was lying in front of her.

As soon as Quinn had emptied her bowl, Rachel bounded out of her seat. Quinn gave in and grabbed her purse as Rachel dragged her out the front door.

They were over an hour early for meeting up with Santana and Brittany at the mall, but Rachel made it obvious that this was completely intentional.

"As you well know, I'm already packed and ready for New York. You, my darling, haven't even picked out a comforter yet. You can't put this off any longer, Quinn; you leave in 5 days." Rachel scolded her, making Quinn meet her eyes sheepishly.

"Buying those things makes it all real though," pouted Quinn as she reluctantly traipsed into Sheets'N'Things behind Rachel. It would have been so much more comforting if she could have reached out to hold Rachel's hand, but she didn't want to risk being seen.

"I made you a list of the essentials that you have failed to pick out still," said Rachel, handing Quinn the extensive color-coded list.

"Why do I need four towels in every shape and size?" whined Quinn.

"Because, Quinn Fabray, your mom won't be there to make you do your laundry. I have made sure to take into account your personality and current lifestyle so that the list accurately reflects what you will need at Yale." Quinn had to admit that Rachel was thorough.

"Fine," responded Quinn, recognizing defeat. "Let's start wit the towels then." Rachel grabbed her hand excitedly and pulled her towards the large selection.

"Quinn, there is no way you are getting those," said Rachel, pointing at the neon green towels that Quinn was holding.

"I totally am. I grew up with only white towels. I'm feeling a need to rebel." Rachel was shaking her head in disbelief.

"Isn't getting colored towels a rebellion in itself?" Rachel asked, exasperated. "How about these blue ones?" She held up a baby blue towel, trying to sway Quinn with a seductive smile.

"It is so not fair that you are using your sex appeal to get me to agree with you." Quinn watched as Rachel put four towels in various shades of calming blue into the cart.

"What's next on the list, Fabray?" Rachel asked, amused at Quinn's scowl when she glanced down at the list.

"I suppose the shower accessories." Rachel took off with the cart, Quinn trudging behind her. She would never admit that she was having fun.

They slowly made their way through the store, crossing off the various items Rachel had deemed important that Quinn have.

"All that is left is bedding," Quinn said, scanning down the crossed out list. The girls headed over to the college section that was full of extra long twin sheet sets and comforters. They walked through the aisles quietly, Quinn fingering various comforters as they went. Finally she set her eyes on one and pulled it off the shelf.

"That one is totally you, Quinn." Rachel said, looking at the comforter. It was a simple plaid design in shades of green and light yellow. It was sunny and upbeat without being overkill like the neon green towels. Quinn smiled at her and tossed it in the cart and walked over to pick out matching sheets. Once the sheets joined the pile in the cart, they headed to the check out line.

After loading the millions of bags into Rachel's trunk, they went to go meet Santana and Brittany inside the mall.

"It's about damn time!" Santana said, scowling at her friends.

"Sorry we're a little late. Quinn was wrapping up her dorm shopping with a lot of pressure from me to stop procrastinating," Rachel said, smiling affectionately at Brittany and meeting Santana's gaze.

"Well, let's go." Santana stood up and Brittany immediately linked hands with her as they headed down the mall.

The four girls spent the next few hours wandering in and out of stores, occasionally picking up items that they needed for college. They ended up at the toy store at the end and Brittany convinced them that they had to go inside.

Surrounded by all of the toys, they lost themselves in childhood excitement. They ran up and down the aisles playing with various toys and pressing the buttons to make all of the toys talk at once. They were less than a week from being college freshmen, yet they couldn't stop themselves. Quinn walked up the stuffed animal aisle looking for Rachel and laid her eyes on a teddy bear. It was pink and had little gold stars all over it. She hadn't really thought about it before, but giving Rachel something to cuddle at night while she couldn't be there was really the perfect going away gift. She slid up to the register to purchase the bear before her friends noticed and stuck it into one of her other bags.

A few minutes later they met at the front of the store, tired from all of the shopping. Rachel and Quinn said goodbye to their friends and headed back to the car.

Rachel parking in Quinn's driveway and the girls started unloading the many bags that Quinn had purchased on her mom's credit card that morning. They got them all into her room and Rachel immediately started sorting them and placing them in the appropriately labeled boxes. Quinn hung back, following Rachel's orders of where things should be placed and laughed at the fact that she wouldn't be able to find anything when she moved in, but at least she could call Rachel for the answer.

A while later, Quinn's mom arrived home from work to find the girls sweaty and exhausted, but with Quinn's room packed up for the move to New Haven.

"You're amazing, Rachel. I've been trying to get her to do that for weeks," said Judy Fabray sweetly, leaning against the door frame.

"I have a knack for getting people to do what I want." Quinn's mom laughed.

"Isn't that the truth! Would you like to stay for dinner, sweetie?"

"I'd love to, Mrs. Fabray, but my fathers are monopolizing me at the moment and I told them I would be there for dinner."

"That's okay. Well try to schedule us in for a night before you leave for New York; I would love to see you before you head off!"

"Will do, Mrs. Fabray."

Quinn watched the exchange with mild amusement, but a knot formed tightly in her stomach.

"She really likes you, Rach," she said quietly.

"Yeah, most parents tend to like me. Especially when I can get their procrastinating teenager to pack up her stuff." Rachel smiled affectionately at Quinn.

"What do you think will happen when she finds out about us being more than friends?" Quinn's worry was now etched deeply on her face.

"Honestly, Quinnie, I have no idea. She knows we're close and very compatible. She herself has changed so much since you got pregnant and your dad left. But it is against everything she has ever been told, everything she knows. It might be bad at first, but I think she'll adjust to the idea once she realizes how truly happy we make one another."

"How do you do that?" Quinn asked incredulously.

"Do what?"

"Make me feel like everything is always going to be okay." Quinn looked into the chocolate brown eyes and felt her body relax.

"I've always been an optimist. But I also truly believe that we can defy odds if we let ourselves."

She kept her eyes locked on Quinn as she moved closer, until she was finally close enough to touch the blonde. Rachel brushed the hair out of Quinn's face and cupped her chin towards her. Their lips met and Quinn's stress melted away, everything lost in the embrace of the tiny diva. It started off calm, but the passion was building. Their arms became wrapped around one another, pulling in closer and deepening the kiss. Rachel ran her tongue along Quinn's bottom lip making her moan slightly before pulling back.

"I think we should have sex before we leave for college." Leave it to Rachel to be blunt about what she wants.

"I thought you wanted to take things slow," Quinn said nervously.

"I know, but it feels like we've been going slow. I mean we knew each other so well before we started dating that we got to skip so many steps. I'm crazy about you, Quinn. I think it would be good for us to know how well we really fit before we try to make it work eighty miles away. I want to do this if you're ready." Her face was so serious with her eyes locked with Quinn's.

"You know I want you, Rachel. I just don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you."

"You're not. So you're sleeping over on Thursday night. I know we can't escape our parents on our last night here, so it'll have to be our second to last night. I'll find away to get my dads out of the house. I'll call you later, okay?" She leaned in and kissed Quinn goodbye before heading out the door, leaving the blonde dumbstruck.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Quinn stood staring at the point where Rachel had just exited. She was stunned at what had just happened. Before she couldn't wait to let her hands wander all over Rachel's body and now that Rachel had given her a time and place, she was terrified. She knew she cared deeply for Rachel and that just a kiss from the brunette took her breath away. But now Rachel had completely surprised her and she didn't know what to do about it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, San." Quinn heard Brittany ask who was on the phone and Santana groan.

"What do you need?"

"God forbid I just want to talk to my bestie."

"I'm totally busy right now. Can we meet after dinner?"

"Yeah, the normal spot?"

"Yeah, see you there."

"Bye, San."

Quinn flopped onto her bed. Santana would tease Quinn without mercy, but in the end would help Quinn calm down and figure out how she felt and what to do.

Dinner was uneventful. Judy was chatty about anything and everything, but Quinn's thoughts weren't allowing her to completely be there. She knew her mom was going to miss her when she left. It would just be her left in the big, cold house. Quinn's sister Frannie had hardly been home since she had left for college, choosing instead to spend her breaks with her uptight Christian boyfriend's family or working at school. As bad as she felt about her mom's loneliness, her thoughts were completely focused on seeing Rachel naked in 3 days.

As soon as the plates were washed, Quinn ran back up into her room to change and text Santana that she was on her way. She grabbed her keys, called through to her mom to tell her she was leaving, and was on her way.

She found their spot empty, but wasn't surprised. Santana was always late and she was probably wrapped up in Brittany like usual. Quinn took in the peacefulness of the place. She and Santana had stumbled across it one summer afternoon in middle school and it became their spot. It was in the local park, but it was positioned out of the view of prying eyes. It became their go-to spot to talk about their troubles, a place where the bitchy cheerleaders could let their walls down. Quinn thought about all the nights she spent here after her parents found out she was pregnant, the nights of escaping the drunken rage of her father, of crying over boys. Santana had been there for some of these nights, but Quinn had plenty of solo visits over the years as well.

"What's so important that we had to meet in our secret clubhouse?" Quinn turned upon hearing Santana's voice and saw her best friend smirking at her as she settled onto the grass next to Quinn.

"I've already accepted that you're never going to let me hear the end of this, but I need to talk about it." Quinn knew she was blushing and she could feel Santana inflate with glee about what Quinn was going to confess.

"Well, spit it out, Q. I want to get back to Brittany sometime this evening." Despite her snarky comment, Quinn could hear the concern in the Latina's voice.

"Rachel sprung something huge on me. We were just talking and all of a sudden it was about us surviving as a couple and next thing I knew, she scheduled me in to sleepover on Thursday so that we can..you know…" Quinn broke off, hoping Santana wouldn't make her say it aloud.

"So you guys can bake cookies together?" Santana wasn't even trying to contain her enthusiasm at Quinn's discomfort.

"She wants us to seal the deal before we go away on Saturday."

"You were dying to get in her pants a day ago and now that she has given you a giant green light, you want to back out?"

"It's not that I don't want to get into her pants. It's just that, I don't know, I thought the circumstances would be different. That it would be in a fit of passion, not penciled into my calendar."

"Well, that's what you get for falling for Berry. You know that girl plans every detail of her life, so why would sex be any different?"

"I know you're right. And I do want to move forward in this relationship. But I have no idea what to do with a girl." Quinn's face was bright red now.

"You need to stop worrying all of the time, Q. Girls are easier than guys because it's like pleasing yourself. Now I know you're all high and mighty and probably are too prude to even touch yourself, but you'll know what feels good and you'll be able to do the same thing to Berry." Santana couldn't help but be a little sympathetic to her friend. It had been less than a week since Quinn had even considered being attracted to a girl and now she was about to sleep with one. Quinn sighed and laid back onto the carpet of grass.

"Are you scared to move to L.A. on Saturday?" Quinn asked casually.

"It comes and goes. At some moments I'm scared shitless because I'm so used to being the top dog here effortlessly. I won't be able to skate by on my good looks and cheerleading in college. But then I remember that I'll have Britt. Even though we're going to be following different paths, at least I know that I will never be lonely out there." Quinn was amazed at how mellow Brittany had made Santana over the last year, even though Santana tried to hide it most of the time.

"That's my biggest fear. Being alone." Quinn said quietly.

"You're Quinn fucking Fabray. As long as you try to keep from giving everybody your HBIC stare and let people in, you'll be on top like always. Yale is your chance to get away from everything that happened to you in high school."

"When did you become such a supportive friend?" Quinn said, laughing at the look of horror on Santana's face.

"Next time you ask for help, I'll just continue to be naked with my girl instead." Santana retorted.

"Brittany has you so whipped; you know she'll make you be a good friend." That rendered Santana speechless. "I should get home. Judy seems to be lonely already and I haven't even left for Yale yet. I'll see you at Puck's tomorrow?"

"Definitely. Peace, Q." Santana hopped up off the grass and waved to Quinn as she headed off in the direction of Brittany's house.

Quinn forced herself to leave the peacefulness and return home herself. She found her mom in the living room aimlessly flipping through channels on the TV. Quinn sat down on the couch next to her and her mom hugged her lightly, keeping her arm around her youngest daughter's shoulder as they watched silently.

Eventually Judy was overcome by exhaustion and kissed Quinn's forehead before heading up to her bedroom. Quinn followed her, anxious to call Rachel before she settled in for the night herself.

Rachel answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Quinn! How was dinner with your mom?"

"It was fine. I spent some time around her tonight. She seems so lonely knowing that I'm leaving soon."

"Yeah, it has to be hard to be in that big house all alone. My dads aren't handling the idea of me leaving well either. Well, Dad is okay and excited for me. But Daddy keeps pouting and I've caught him crying a few times. You'd think they were the ones that were leaving for new places." Quinn laughed, imagining the Berry men and their drastically different personalities.

"I guess it's hard on them with you being an only child. Everybody knows that you'll be a big star in New York and will never move back to Lima. Everybody always knew that you would get out of here, Rach. Most of the reason you got bullied was because we were all jealous that you would get a chance at your dreams while we were all stuck in this awful town."

"Well, that and my terrible fashion sense and annoying personality got me bullied." Quinn laughed at Rachel's brutal honesty.

"The animal sweaters definitely didn't help, but I was always jealous that you would get to be a big star in New York and I would be in Lima selling real estate and being in an unhappy marriage like my mom."

"We're getting out of here, Quinnie. You worked so hard to get out of here too."

"I guess I have four years to figure out how to avoid returning to Lima after graduation."

"We're going to make it." Rachel sounded so sure, just like she always did when she talked about her future. Quinn didn't feel as certain, but it was nice to know that Rachel believed that she could get out of Lima for good as well.

"I'm exhausted though. I'll see you around 7 to get ready for Puck's party."

"See you then. Goodnight, Quinn."

"Night, Rachel." Quinn ended the call, slipped into her pajamas, and climbed into bed. The future seemed so daunting, so unknown. Yet Quinn felt secure knowing that if nothing else, Rachel Berry believed in her.

Quinn spent the majority of the next day running errands and packing up the last of her belongings. Her room looked bare having packed her favorite pictures to hang on the wall of her dorm and she stared at them after she taped the last box closed. She glanced around at the all of the boxes in her bedroom. She had no idea how all of this stuff was going to fit in a regular dorm room and she wished Rachel would be there to unpack it since Quinn knew she would organize it so perfectly.

After dinner, she took a shower and got herself ready to go to Puck's party. He was throwing a party for just the glee kids so that they could say goodbye before the seniors dispersed across the country. Quinn didn't like that the time for goodbyes had already appeared. It was the last night that Finn would be here – he left for boot camp tomorrow morning. Even though she knew she would see Santana, Brittany, and Rachel before they all left on Saturday, it was still sad to say goodbye to the rest of her friends.

Once she had gotten ready, she grabbed her overnight bag and keys and headed over to help Rachel finish getting ready.

Quinn was still nervous in the Berry household. It had taken a long time before Rachel's dads had trusted her to be there after the years of torture she had put Rachel through. They were starting to come around and didn't forbid her there anymore, but she knew that they were still weary about her friendship with Rachel. She said a polite hello and headed up to Rachel's room as quickly as she could.

Upon entering the room, Quinn laughed at the sight of Rachel. She was frantically throwing shirts from her closet and there was a building pile of clothes around her feet.

"Um, Rachel? What are you doing?" Quinn couldn't keep the giggle out of her voice as the diva turned around quickly.

"I have nothing to wear! It's the last party of the summer and I can't go because I have absolutely nothing suitable to wear for the occasion!" Her cheeks were flushed from her diva tantrum.

"Rach, calm down. It's not some big fancy event. It's just a barbecue at Puck's and then a sleepover at Mercedes' house."

"But I need an outfit that conveys that I'm sad about my departure, yet excited for my future on the stage."

"Your outfit needs to just look cute on you. That's all that matters. And as I think you look incredible in anything, I get to dress you accordingly." Quinn smiled at the worked up diva and began to sort through her mess of clothes, finally selecting a jean skirt and a striped tank top. Rachel didn't fight her on it, but instead slipped into the clothes willingly. Quinn admired her handiwork. Rachel had grown up a lot in the past year. With her new friends' help, her wardrobe now showed off the fantastic body that had hit under all of those sweaters. The skirt hugged her ass, while the shirt clung in all the right places. She looked stunning and Quinn told her so.

Seeing how good Quinn had done with her outfit, as she always did, Rachel grabbed her hand and pulled her into the bathroom for help with her hair and makeup. Quinn always went simple when styling herself, allowing her straight blonde hair to fall neatly and wearing minimal makeup. However, she gave Rachel a much more drastic look. Her long dark hair fell in loose curls over her shoulders. But it was her makeup that was going to make her turn heads. Quinn had given her a smoky look, similar to what Brittany had done for their first date. She had looked amazing on the date and Quinn could barely take her eyes off of her now.

"How do I look?" asked Rachel tentatively, standing up and twirling in front of Quinn.

"You're absolutely stunning." Quinn meant it sincerely. She leaned in and kissed the brunette hard on the lips, taking Rachel aback. But almost instantly, Rachel met her passion and Quinn felt herself pushed up against the countertop, Rachel's body pressed against hers. Quinn let her lips part to allow Rachel's probing tongue to enter, feeling the electricity shoot through her as it did. She met Rachel's tongue with her own and rested her hands on the tiny girl's waist, willing them to not rip Rachel's clothes off that moment.

"Girls! Santana and Brittany are here to pick you up!" Rachel's dad called from the bottom of the stairs.

"We'll be right down, Dad!" Rachel called back, her arms around Quinn's neck still.

"Damn them and their awful timing," moped Quinn as she pulled Rachel in for one more kiss before they headed down to meet their friends.

Most of their friends were already there when they arrived. Rachel and Quinn had decided to not completely publicize the fact that they were a little more than friends, but it seemed like their gossip-loving friends had already spread the word for them. The majority of their friends spent the night making comments about how they had never thought the head cheerleader would be dating the glee club diva. The girls laughed their way through most of the jokes. Quinn was secretly glad that it was already common knowledge because the more beer she drank, the harder it seemed to become to keep her hands off of Rachel.

The night wore on, everybody getting progressively drunk. They spent a lot of time reminiscing about glee club, the girls crying from time to time as the boys acted tough. It was the perfect reunion of the group before the seniors departed.

Eventually it came time to say their goodbyes. Quinn made her way around the room to all of the guys to say goodbye. There were lots of promises of staying in touch and it started to hit Quinn how much she was going to miss glee this year. She saved Puck and Finn for last.

"We're going to be okay, aren't we?" Quinn asked quietly, sitting down next to Puck.

"We're going to be fine, babe. I know that we have unresolved issues, but I'll always care about you, Quinn. If my fellow Jew makes you this happy, then I'm happy for you. You're gonna rock it at Yale. Once you've made some hot friends, give me a ring and I'll visit."

"You're never going to grow up, are you Noah?" Rachel had sneaked up behind them.

"Nah, probably not." He stood up and helped Quinn to her feet. He wrapped Quinn in a bear hug. As soon as he released her, he extended his arms to Rachel, who fell into them. The three of them smiled at one another and Puck walked away before the emotions got too overwhelming.

"Hey, babe, do you mind if I talk to Finn alone first?" Quinn asked Rachel. Rachel nodded and went to say goodbye for a second time to Blaine and Artie.

Quinn sauntered up to Finn, who was sulking away from most of their friends.

"I'm really proud of you, Finn." The words came out hardly above a whisper.

"For what? I don't have dreams to chase like the rest of you. I'm taking an easy way out." Quinn could hear the pain in his voice.

"Finn, you're the bravest of us all. You have no idea what you want from life, but you're not letting yourself waste away in Lima while you try to figure it out. You're doing something important."

"I always thought that I would let Rachel go to college and then we would start our life together for real. Apparently she never saw me the way I saw her." Quinn watched his eyes follow Rachel as she bounded from one person to the next.

"She's definitely something special." Quinn knew it must hurt him to see them together, but she wasn't going to stop caring for Rachel out of guilt.

"Look, just don't hurt her. She deserves the best."

"I know, Finn. Good luck at boot camp. Once you're settled, send me a letter with your address on it."

"Will do. Good luck at Yale, Quinn."

"Thanks." They smiled awkwardly at one another for a moment before Quinn pushed down the wall and hugged him. She walked away and sent Rachel over to say her goodbye to Finn. The couple headed outside to talk privately and Quinn felt a pang of jealousy creep over her. She turned her attention to the girls, most of whom were crying and clinging to each other. Santana was the worst of them and Brittany was trying to comfort everybody. It was quite a sight and Quinn took it upon herself to get them into Kurt's car to head to Mercedes' house for the night.

They were all still drunk and exhausted when they got to the house, so they quickly got into their pajamas and all settled onto the floor in Mercedes' bedroom. They fell asleep one by one, until Quinn became aware that only her and Rachel were awake besides the giggling that was coming from Santana's sleeping bag, meaning that her and Britt also thought everybody else was asleep. Quinn watched the diva lay there with her eyes closed, her dark hair falling on her face. She reached over and brushed it back and pecking the girl softly on the cheek. Rachel smiled sweetly, not opening her eyes.

"Was everything okay with Finn when you said goodbye?" Quinn asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Yeah, it was fine. He just wanted to hear it from me finally that I have real feelings for you so that he could move on when he leaves."

"Do you still love him?"

"I don't think I ever really loved him, more that I just loved the idea of him. He was popular, yet a sweet guy in glee club. I was enamored with the idea of a perfect co-star romance as well."

"Good, because we could do without boy drama getting in our way."

"I wouldn't let it. We should get some sleep. Night, Quinn"

"Night, Rach." Quinn laid there, content with how great of a night it had been and listening to Santana moan softly into the pillow that was covering her mouth. She sighed at her best friend and rolled over, drifting to sleep.

Quinn's head was throbbing and she groaned and burrowed deeper into her sleeping bag. She could hear the whispered giggles of her friends and forced her eyes open. Rachel was sitting up next to her, smiling across the room. Quinn followed her gaze and saw the upper bodies of Santana and Brittany contained in one sleeping bag without any clothing on.

"So much for being discrete," mumbled Quinn to Rachel. They both giggled.

"It has never been their strong point," stated Rachel. She watched as the Latina and the blonde stirred from the noise of their giggling friends.

"Seriously, you guys couldn't have sex with your shirts on?" asked Tina, incredulously.

"It feels better without it on." Brittany was never embarrassed about her sexual escapades.

"Just please make sure that you have something on your lower half before you extract yourselves from that sleeping bag," said Mercedes, turning away from the sight of the half naked girls. Quinn giggled as Brittany emerged wearing only her panties and exposing Santana wearing the same thing. They grabbed their clothes and threw them on over their heads, smiling like it didn't bother them that their friends had seen them exposed.

The girls made breakfast together, all of them nursing their hangovers. They perked up with some pancakes and coffee, but Quinn couldn't wait to take a nap. Once they cleaned up, they started the goodbyes. Kurt and Rachel were crying hard, hugging Tina and Mercedes tight. Quinn, Santana, and Brittany were a little more put together, but it took a while for everybody to compose themselves to leave.

Finally, Kurt dropped them off to pick Santana's car up on Puck's block and shortly after, Quinn and Rachel had been dropped off at the Berry house.

"I never thought saying goodbye would be so hard!" exclaimed Rachel, her eyes still red from crying.

"We still have Santana and Brittany, our parents, and one another before the goodbyes are over."

"Don't remind me, Quinn! I'm dreading those ones enough!"

"Sorry. I'm exhausted and in desperate need of a nap."

"I'll let you go home then. Give me a call later?"

"You bet, babe." Quinn pecked Rachel on the cheek and hopped into her car.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

The next couple of days flew by. Quinn had so many last things to get done before leaving on Saturday. Her mom was monopolizing as much time as was possible to spend with Quinn. She had hardly seen her friends since Puck's party. 

But now it was Thursday morning. Quinn awoke and felt the lump appear in her throat immediately. She had been nervous about spending the night with Rachel since they had discussed it, but now it was Thursday and her nervousness had evolved into panic. She had to get through the next eight hours before she even went to Rachel's.

Quinn decided the best thing to do was run, just like she had all of those days in high school when life became overwhelming. She had already packed her good running sneakers, but she dug an old pair out of the back of her closet, grabbed her iPod and headed out onto the street. It was a really hot morning and Quinn could feel the sweat poring down her spine as her feet pounded against the hard pavement. She picked up her pace, letting the rhythm clear her head. The streets of Lima were a blur. Quinn's mind was focused on the music playing in her ears. When she turned back onto her block, her legs were tired, but she felt more relaxed than she had all week.

After showering, Quinn laid on her bed with her laptop, going over her orientation schedule and classes for Yale. It still seemed surreal that in two days she would be an Ivy League freshman. She read through the descriptions of her classes. She had always loved English, which is why she had chosen to major in it, but she had no idea what she planned on doing with it down the road. Of all of her classes, she was most excited about the photography class she had signed up for as her art credit. In high school, Quinn had never taken art classes because she was too busy filling her schedule with more AP classes. Now that she was going to Yale, she figured she was allowed to take classes that she would actually enjoy.

Quinn was so absorbed in her course descriptions that she jumped when her cell phone vibrated next to her.

**Are you excited about tonight? ;)**

Quinn bit her lip, trying to figure out how to respond. She figured honesty was probably the best avenue here.

**Excited, yes. Nervous, definitely.**

**It's just me, Quinn. We'll go as fast or as slow as you need. Promise. I can't wait to see you. Dinner is at 6 – don't be late!**

**See you then, Rach**

Quinn didn't know why she was getting herself so panicked over tonight. I mean, she knew it would be nerve wracking being with a girl for the first time, especially after she hadn't been intimate since she got pregnant. But this was different. It was Rachel. Her best friend. She knew Rachel would never push her to do something she wasn't comfortable with. Having calmed down a little, Quinn grabbed her book and headed out by the pool for some afternoon sun.

At five, Quinn found herself standing in front of her full length mirror. She had already vetoed three different outfits. Most of her wardrobe was tasteful with a slightly flirty flair. She wanted Rachel to see her as sexy, but she didn't think that could be achieved wearing one of her sundresses. Finally, she pulled on a pair of tight jeans and a tank top. It was understated, but showed off her curves better than any of the dresses did.

At fives minutes to six, Quinn was standing on the front porch of Rachel's house. She took a deep breath, wiped her sweaty palms on the back of her jeans, and rang the doorbell. Rachel swung the front door open seconds later, looking adorable in shorts and a v-neck top.

"You're early! Come in!" She held the door open for Quinn, who walked past her, smiling.

"I guess I just couldn't wait to see you." Her smile unwavering, she met Rachel's eyes.

"Why don't you put your bag upstairs? I'm just finishing up dinner so you can meet me in the kitchen." Quinn nodded and headed upstairs to put her stuff down. When she returned downstairs, she saw Rachel pulling a vegan casserole out of the oven.

"It smells delicious, Rach." Rachel smiled up at her as she carried the casserole to the table. It had already been set and a candle was lit in the center. Quinn sat down across from Rachel, feeling nervous again.

"How was your day?" Rachel asked conversationally.

"It wasn't bad. I got a great run in and I looked up my classes online. I'm taking photography this semester and I'm looking forward to it."

"That sounds like something you would love. You notice the little things. I bet you'll do really well."

"I'm just excited to take something that my parents didn't hand pick for me so that I could have the perfect transcript to get into the perfect school. I never got to take an art class and photography stood out to me, so I enrolled."

"You're going to rock Yale, Quinn." They smiled at one another and ate in silence for a few minutes.

"What did you do today?" asked Quinn.

"I got things ready for you coming over for the most part. I finally found time to sing for a while since I haven't been training as hard as I should have been the past couple of weeks. I don't want to fall behind my competition at NYADA."

"Well you can sing for me later if you need some extra practice. I love listening to you." Rachel blushed slightly.

They finished eating and Quinn jumped up to help Rachel clear the dishes. Before long, they were up in Rachel's room, propped up on the bed watching Quinn's choice of movie. Rachel had relinquished control of picking the movie, which meant no musicals tonight. Quinn knew that Rachel did not share her enthusiasm for horror films, so she settled on a light hearted romantic comedy. It was one that she had seen a million times, so she was able to focus much more on the girl sitting next to her and the small hand that was intertwined with hers.

"What are you looking at?" Rachel asked, turning towards Quinn.

"You," Quinn answered simply, her eyes never leaving the brunette.

"What about the movie?"

"I picked one that I've seen a bunch of times so I could focus on what I came here for." Rachel smiled at Quinn sweetly.

Quinn took the opportunity to lean in and kiss the brunette. Rachel's lips met hers and she could feel the anticipation shoot between them. The movie forgotten, Quinn's hands were in Rachel's hair, pulling her in closer.

Her stomach was fluttering with nerves and excitement as she deepened the kiss, her tongue flitting against Rachel's, the warmth of their bodies radiating against one another. Quinn rolled so that Rachel was beneath her and Quinn straddled the small diva's hips. Rachel pulled her back in, their lips meeting again and Rachel's hands were touching the bare skin of Quinn's hips under the hem of her shirt.

Quinn couldn't contain a small moan when Rachel's mouth found her neck, showering it with sweet, slow kisses. Her body was on fire at Rachel's every touch, her skin craving more and more contact. She let her own hands slide down to Rachel's breasts and she ran her hands over them softly. Despite the layers of material separating them, Quinn could already feel her nipples hardening and Rachel moaned into Quinn's neck. The sound from the brunette ignited Quinn's confidence and she pulled away from Rachel to give herself leverage to remove her shirt. She sat against Rachel's hips, watching Rachel's eyes take in the sight. Rachel reached up behind Quinn, her fingers fumbling nervously with the clasp, but a minute later the bra slackened and Quinn let it fall off of her. Rachel's eyes met hers and they smiled nervously at one another.

Quinn rolled off of Rachel, letting the brunette discard of her own shirt and bra before they met for another embrace. The feel of the naked girl against her sent shivers down Quinn's spine and she met Rachel's mouth hungrily. Her hands were wandering along the bare skin, gently taking in all of Rachel. Rachel's fingers found her erect nipple and she rolled it between her thumb and forefinger, causing Quinn to arch her back and let out a moan. The sensation of Rachel's hands on her was unlike anything Quinn had ever experienced. Rachel reacted to Quinn's moan, rolling Quinn onto her back and kissing down her neck, pausing at her collarbone before moving down towards her stiff nub. Quinn's nails were scraping lightly down Rachel's back, her body pushing up into Rachel. Rachel adjusted herself so that her thigh was between Quinn's legs, pushing against the blonde's core.

Quinn's nerves were fading as her arousal took over. She was letting Rachel lead and Rachel's hands and tongue were torturing her with pleasure. Quinn thrust her hips up against Rachel's thigh, looking for relief the much needed pressure. She needed Rachel. Rachel responded to Quinn's motions, getting into a rhythm with her hips to rub against Quinn's core, making the blonde moan and squirm.

"I want you," breathed Quinn into Rachel's hair as the brunette's lips closed around Quinn's nipple, her hips grinding slowly. Rachel whimpered at Quinn's raspy request and pulled away from her so that she could remove Quinn's jeans. Her hand found Quinn's panty clad mound, applying pressure. She could feel how wet Quinn was and it made Rachel even more turned on.

"Is this okay?" Rachel breathed, rubbing Quinn slowly as her tongue found the pulse spot on Quinn's neck.

"More than okay," moaned Quinn, urging Rachel on. She pulled off Quinn's panties and let her hand slide into the wet folds, making Quinn moan louder. The blonde was pushing her hips into Rachel's hand, desperate for more pressure. She pulled Rachel's face towards her, meeting the brunette in a deep, passionate kiss as Rachel slid a finger inside of her. Rachel's touch was so sensual, her demeanor relaxed yet determined as she slid her finger in and out of Quinn, her thumb rubbing circles on her sensitive clit. Quinn's breathing was erratic and she was thrusting her hips to meet Rachel's hand.

"God, Rachel. Don't stop." Rachel quickened her pace, her mouth swirling around a nipple. She felt Quinn's nails dig into her back as her body began to tense.

"Fuck..Rachel, oh God!" Quinn's body tumbled over the edge, her hips bucking and Rachel fought to hold on, letting Quinn ride out her orgasm. When the blonde's body seemed to calm, Rachel slipped her hand out of Quinn's folds and crawled up to kiss the panting blonde.

"That was really hot," Rachel said into Quinn's ear as she kissed it.

"That was amazing," Quinn replied, her eyes closed as she tried to catch her breath.

Once her body had calmed down, she turned her attention on the brunette, determined to make her feel the way Quinn just had. Quinn kissed down Rachel's jaw and onto her neck until her tongue found the pulse spot. Rachel's hand was running through her hair, the other was on the bare skin of Quinn's back. She continued to move lower, kissing Rachel's collarbone and down the valley of her breasts as Rachel's breath quickened, urging Quinn on.

Quinn's mouth found the hard nipple finally and she kissed it gently before swirling her tongue over it. Rachel moaned and grasped Quinn's head tightly. Quinn positioned herself so that her leg was between Rachel and she grinded down onto the smaller girl, teasing her core.

"I want to feel all of you," said Quinn and Rachel moaned again, urging Quinn to continue. Quinn felt her heart race as she unbuttoned Rachel's shorts. The smaller girl lifted her hips to allow Quinn to slip the shorts and her panties off of her. Quinn took in the sight of the naked girl, her eyes closed, her cheeks flushed. Quinn watched Rachel bite her lower lip in anticipation. The blonde lowered her hand to Rachel's knee and slowly let it wander up the inner thigh, eliciting small moans from the brunette. She ran her hand gently over Rachel's folds before letting her fingers slide into the folds. Rachel moaned as Quinn's fingers slid through the wetness. Quinn rubbed slow circles against the girl's core, avoiding the bundle of nerves. She pressed her forefinger gently at Rachel's opening.

"Please, Quinn," Rachel begged and it was all Quinn needed to slip her finger inside. She felt Rachel clamp against her finger, moaning at the sensation. Quinn bit her lip as a moan caught in her throat. She thrust in and out gently, adjusting based on Rachel's reactions.

"I need more." Rachel's voice cracked, her hips pushing against Quinn's finger. Quinn slipped a second finger inside and used her thumb to rub Rachel's clit. Rachel's breathing became ragged and Quinn sped up as she felt the brunette getting close. Rachel climaxed, screaming Quinn's name, her body clamping down around Quinn's fingers. Eventually she came down from her high and she pulled Quinn up to her. The girls kissed and Quinn collapsed on the bed next to Rachel, cuddling into her shoulder, her arm lying across Rachel's toned stomach. They caught their breath together, holding one another close.

Quinn hadn't even realized that she had drifted off to sleep. The noise in the room caused her to stir and she opened her eyes to see Rachel standing naked at the sink in her adjoining bathroom, her toothbrush in hand. Quinn watched the brunette, taking in her petite figure and smiling. Tonight had been more than Quinn could have ever imagined. She was falling for that girl.

Rachel returned to the bed and realized that Quinn was awake.

"Apparently we wore ourselves out," laughed Rachel, cuddling back into Quinn. The blonde could feel her body getting excited again, the wetness starting between her legs. She wrapped Rachel in her arms, kissing her deeply. The brunette responded, putting one leg over the blonde and grinding into her. Quinn's hands were gripping Rachel's hips, regulating a rhythm against Rachel's grinding.

"I just needed to recharge before round two," said Quinn, a twinkle in her eye. She flipped Rachel onto her back, taking charge. Rachel giggled, her hands massaging Quinn's breasts, occasionally pinching her nipples lightly. Quinn found Rachel's mouth again, their tongues fighting for dominance in the deep kiss, their hands running along each other's bare skin. Quinn knew in that moment that there was no question. She was gay.

She grabbed Rachel's arms and pinned them, wanting all attention to be focused on pleasing Rachel. Quinn kissed down the brunette's body, taking a stiff nipple between her lips and getting more aggressive as Rachel moaned and arched up into Quinn's mouth. The blonde let her hand glide over the smooth skin, slowing down as she reached Rachel's core. She ran her fingernails gently across Rachel's outer lips and the diva shuddered with pleasure, pushing her hips up at Quinn's hand, begging for more. Quinn continued to tease her with soft, sensual touches until Rachel was verbally begging Quinn. The blonde smiled and acquiesced, slipping her fingers into the soaking folds and stroking Rachel gently. She teased the opening, causing Rachel to urgently thrust her hips up, trying to force Quinn to enter her. Quinn couldn't resist Rachel's pleas for pleasure and pushed her finger inside, feeling the brunette tighten around her. She slid in and out quickly, letting her thumb flick across the bundle of nerves. Rachel was bucking her hips to meet Quinn's thrusts, her breath ragged and her moans getting louder. Quinn felt her body tense and Rachel yelled out, her body convulsing frantically.

As soon as her orgasm had subsided, Rachel was running her hands over Quinn again, squeezing her hip, scratching lightly down her back. Her mouth met Quinn's in a fiery kiss and she slid her hand down into Quinn's slick folds and began rubbing circles gently on the blonde's bundle of nerves. Quinn moaned into Rachel's mouth, her body pushing itself against Rachel's fingers. The brunette sped up, her lips still locked passionately with Quinn's. It took almost no time for Quinn to explode. Her mouth pulled away as she yelled in ecstasy, bucking against Rachel. The girls collapsed next to one another on the bed, both out of breath.

"If I had known that this would be so amazing, I would have started being gay a long time ago," joked Quinn, locking Rachel's fingers in hers.

"You're labeling yourself?" Rachel said, taken aback.

"After how mind-blowing this evening has been, I couldn't return to the other team no matter how much I wanted to."

"You've come to terms with all of this really quickly, Quinn."

"In two days I get to really start over away from where people know me as the teenage pregnancy scandal. I'm just lucky that I've gotten a head start in figuring out who I really am because if I hadn't, I wouldn't be lying naked next to you right now." Quinn looked into Rachel's eyes, feeling like the luckiest girl.

"I'm proud of you, Quinn. And now that I know how amazing sex with you is, we totally need to figure out when I'm coming to New Haven." Quinn slapped her playfully on the arm, but was ecstatic of getting to see Rachel again in a few weeks.

"We can look tomorrow before I have to go home for my final night in Lima. I'm putting that off as much as possible. I'd much rather be here with you."

"I wish we didn't have to separate at all. But my dads are going to be home in a couple of hours, we should probably get dressed."

"But I like you like this. You're sexy when you're naked." Quinn saw the pink appear in Rachel's cheeks.

"I never thought I would hear Quinn Fabray call me sexy."

"Well don't expect me to stop now that I know what's under the clothes, Rachel Berry." Rachel gave her a genuine smile and got up to get ready for bed. Quinn followed, stealing a kiss whenever possible. Before long they were changed and snuggled back into bed, Quinn's arms wrapped protectively around the brunette. They drifted off to sleep tangled up in one another.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Quinn awoke to Rachel lightly kissing her on the forehead. Before the brunette could climb out of bed, Quinn wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a real kiss. She tried to deepen it, but Rachel giggled and pulled away.

"Quinn, my dads are home. We can't have sex."

"Isn't your room sound proofed so they don't have to hear you sing all of the time?"

"That so isn't the point. It's just not right. Plus they are downstairs making a big breakfast for our last full day home."

"Ugh, fine. But for the record, I would much rather be naked in bed with you." Rachel smiled at her, shaking her head.

"Let's go, Fabray." Quinn groaned and forced herself out of the bed.

Fifteen minutes later, Quinn found herself sitting at the table enjoying breakfast with the Berrys. She was glad that Rachel's dads weren't vegan as well because it meant that she got to indulge in bacon despite Rachel's whiny protests about cruelty to animals. Quinn still felt awkward around Rachel's dads. She knew that they had trouble trusting her after she played the role of Rachel's tormentor for so long. But it seemed like it was fading and the four of them enjoyed a breakfast void of awkwardness. Quinn kept willing herself to not look at Rachel too much, afraid to give away her feelings.

When breakfast was over, the girls headed upstairs so Quinn could gather her belongings to go home. She knew her mom would be waiting for her to spend their last day together.

"I guess I need to go home," pouted Quinn, sitting on Rachel's bed. "I don't want to leave. I'm not going to get to have you alone again for a long time."

"Well then I better give you your real goodbye now." Rachel straddled the blonde, kissing her deeply. Quinn's hands instinctively found Rachel's waist and she pulled the small diva close, not wanting to let go. They stayed like that for several minutes, their lips locked in passion.

"I don't want to say goodbye," Quinn said in between kisses.

"I'm coming to visit you in four weeks. We'll be so busy with school that it'll fly by." Rachel was trying to reassure her, but it was hard when she felt the weight on her own chest.

"Just kiss me and maybe time will stand still." Rachel obliged willingly.

It took all of Rachel's strength to pull herself off of the blonde ten minutes later. She was going to see Quinn tomorrow morning before they left, but they weren't going to have a chance to be alone. Quinn had a few tears running down her cheeks and Rachel wiped them away, kissing Quinn's forehead.

"We need to do this like you pull off a band-aid. It hurts for a second, but it's so much better than trying to peel it away slowly." Quinn nodded in agreement, wiping away the tears rolling down her face. She kissed Rachel sweetly on the lips, picked up her bag, and disappeared from the brunette's room.

Quinn said a quick goodbye to Rachel's dads, hugging them as they wished her luck at Yale. She held herself together until she was in her car heading for her house. The tears sprang back into her eyes and she didn't bother wiping them away as they fell. Even when her and Rachel were just friends, she had dreaded having to leave her at the end of the summer. But now they had so much more. Quinn was falling for her hard and now they were going to be in different states. The emotion was more than she could handle.

She pulled into her driveway and forced herself to dry her face and fix her makeup before heading in to see her mom. It was a relatively uneventful day. The truck came to pick up Quinn's belongings. They would be there to unload tomorrow in Connecticut when she and her mom arrived on their flight. The older Fabray spent the day fighting back tears. Her older daughter had sided strongly with Russell in the divorce and had very little contact with her mother. Quinn was all that Judy had left and now her youngest would be gone too.

Later in the afternoon Quinn slipped out for a while to go say goodbye to Santana and Brittany. The other two were already sitting in their normal booth when she arrived at the Lima Bean. She waved to them and went to the counter to get a coffee before sliding into the booth across from them.

"Sorry, my mom doesn't want me to leave her side today. I haven't gotten a minute to myself since I got home this morning," Quinn said, explaining her tardiness.

"You totally did it." Brittany had seen right through Quinn in less than a minute. Santana smirked at her and Quinn's face flushed a deep red.

"How did you not force me to do that sooner?" Quinn replied bashfully.

"Because you were a huge freaking prude after Puck. Oh yeah, and kind of the head bitch. Although, if I knew that you getting laid would make you such a pushover, I would have done it a long time ago." Quinn stuck her tongue out at the Latina and took a sip of her coffee.

"Anyway, are you guys all set for Los Angeles?" asked Quinn.

"Yeah, everything is packed. The road trip starts first thing on Sunday morning. How about you?"

"I think I'm ready. The truck came to pick up all of my stuff this morning, so hopefully it finds its way to New Haven. I just can't believe we're going away to college already."

"I know what you mean. But it's not like we're leaving our badass personalities here. Well, you seemed to have lost yours when you hooked up with Berry, but I'll still be a badass." Quinn glared at her best friend. "Have you two decided what you're doing once you're separated?"

"Well we keep saying we'll play it by ear. Last night we talked about visiting and Rachel's planning on coming to New Haven in a month, so I guess we'll just have to see how things go from there."

"I can't believe you're going to Yale with a long distance girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"She might as well be. You're totally smitten and it's not like you're going to pursue anybody else."

"We said we were going to take things slow and give ourselves a chance to adjust to college before we jump into something serious."

"Label it whatever you want, Q. You're falling for Berry." Quinn couldn't disagree with Santana. She definitely was falling for Rachel, especially after last night. Santana smirked at Quinn, knowing she was right.

"I need to get back before Judy has a meltdown." The girls stood up and Brittany immediately wrapped Quinn in a suffocating hug. "I'll miss you too, Britt." Brittany smiled and released her.

"You know we're not the mushy types," said Santana, trying to avoid the inevitable.

"Oh, shut up." Quinn pulled Santana into a hug, forcing the Latina and refused to let go until she hugged Quinn back. "Call me when you're settled in L.A."

"Will do, Q. Take care of yourself, okay?" Quinn nodded and waved over her shoulder as she left the coffee shop. In the safety of her car, she felt the tears welling up again. She forced herself to refrain from crying twice in one day and blinked them away as she drove home.

Quinn loved her mom, but found the rest of the day to be torture. They didn't have much in common and her mom, while vastly improved since her father left, was uptight and hard to talk to. She spent most of the evening fretting about everything being ready for their flight the next morning. They cooked dinner together in near silence and ate in the same manner. The Fabray women made small talk, focusing on what classes Quinn had chosen. She saw her mom's lips purse when she mentioned that she was taking photography. Quinn knew that her mom thought she should be taking real academic classes instead, but Judy held in her comments, not wanting to argue with Quinn on her last night home.

Quinn's mom finally decided that they should turn in since they had an early flight in the morning. Quinn was too jittery to sleep, so she pulled on a sweatshirt and slipped out the front door.

"Hello?" Quinn could tell that she had woken Rachel up from the raspy voice.

"I'm outside, let me in."

"What time is it?" asked Rachel groggily.

"Just after midnight. Let me in, I want to see you," Quinn pleaded.

"I'll be down in a minute." Rachel ended the call and dragged herself out of bed to let Quinn in. When they had both returned to Rachel's bedroom, Rachel climbed back under the covers. Quinn hesitated. "Quinn, I assume you couldn't sleep. Set your alarm and come to bed." Quinn slid off her shoes and climbed into the four-poster bed, pulling the brunette close and allowing herself to drift into a peaceful slumber.

Quinn groaned loudly when her alarm sounded. The sun wasn't even up yet. She pushed the button and rolled over to cuddle Rachel.

"You need to get home, Quinnie. Your mom will freak if you're not there when she wakes up." Rachel rolled over and met Quinn's lips with her own.

"So much for ripping off the band-aid," Quinn tried to joke, her voice getting choked up.

"I will stop by before you leave," Rachel assured the blonde, kissing her sweetly again. "But right now you need to get home." Quinn groaned again and kissed the brunette one more time before forcing herself to get out of the bed.

"Thanks for letting me in, Rach."

"I like having you here," answered the brunette sleepily. "I'll see you later." Quinn grabbed her keys and rushed out the door.

"Quinn Fabray!" The shriek hit Quinn's ears as soon as she had opened the front door. "Would you like to explain why I woke up to your empty bed this morning?" Quinn could tell from the tone that her mom was more scared than angry.

"Sorry, Mom. I needed to pick up something from Santana before we left," Quinn answered, averting her eyes from her mother's stare.

"You could have at least left me a note!"

"I know, I said I'm sorry."

"Go get dressed. Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes." Quinn hurried up the stairs to her room. She took a really quick shower before dressing and heading down to breakfast. Turning into the kitchen, she was shocked to see Rachel sitting there with her mom.

"You're early," said Quinn in surprise.

"I wanted to say goodbye to your mom since I didn't get to come over for dinner this week." Quinn poured herself a cup of coffee and joined the two at the table. The three of them had an enjoyable breakfast together, Rachel carrying the conversation as always. When they had finished, Rachel followed Quinn up the stairs into her bedroom. Quinn closed the door behind them, wanting a few minutes of privacy.

"I got you something," Quinn said softly. She reached down behind her bed and extracted a gift bag. Rachel accepted it with a smile. "Open it." Rachel obliged and pulled the stuffed bear out from under the tissue paper.

"Quinn, it's perfect. Thank you." She moved forward and kissed Quinn lightly.

"It made me think of you and your gold stars. Plus, this way you'll never be lonely in New York." Rachel responded by kissing her hard, her arms wrapped around the blonde's neck.

"I didn't get you a going away present," said Rachel, looking up into Quinn's eyes.

"I don't need anything. I get to see you in a month." Quinn focused all of her attention on the brunette. She wanted to remember all the little things about her.

"I'm going to miss you, Quinnie."

"I'll miss you too." Quinn returned to kissing Rachel, her arms snaked around the diva's waist.

"Quinnie, our car is here to take us to the airport!" called Judy from the bottom of the stairs. Quinn groaned into Rachel's mouth, pulling her tight.

"One more kiss. Then we have to try to band-aid rip again," said Rachel sternly. Quinn obliged, putting all of her emotions into their final kiss. "I'll call you tonight when I'm settled into my apartment." Quinn just nodded, tears silently falling from her eyes. With a peck on Quinn's cheek, Rachel was gone.

That evening, Quinn stood in the doorway of her dorm room. Her roommate wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow morning, so Quinn had first choice of beds. She chose the one on the left and started to unload her boxes. Her mom and the movers had been there to help with the boxes, but her mom had left to catch her flight back to Ohio, leaving Quinn with the job of unpacking alone.

She turned her iPod onto speaker and put it on her desk, allowing the music to fill the emptiness of the room. Thanks to Rachel's neat packing and perfect labeling, Quinn was able to find her bedding relatively easy and began putting together her half of the room, her home for the next nine months.

Someone knocked on the open door behind her, and Quinn spun around to see a boy standing there. He seemed artsy with his band t-shirt, the square rimmed glasses, and the mop of curly dark hair. He smiled at her sweetly.

"Hey, I'm Matt, your R.A." He extended his hand and Quinn walked over to shake it.

"I'm Quinn," she said quietly.

"I just wanted to give you your orientation packet and introduce myself. He handed Quinn a bulky folder. Your roommate, Hayley, is scheduled to move in at 10 a.m. tomorrow. I wrote my contact info on the inside of the folder. Let me know if I can do anything to help out." He smiled at the blonde again, taking in her hazel eyes.

"Thanks, Matt. I'll see you later."

"See you, Quinn." He walked down to the next door. Quinn finished making her bed and collapsed upon it, eternally grateful that Rachel had convinced her to buy the memory foam to cover the hard dorm mattress. Matt had seemed like a genuinely nice guy. Quinn hoped that her roommate, Hayley was as nice. She forced herself to tackle a few more boxes.

Around five, Quinn's stomach started growling. She was putting away the last of her clothes into the small closet and dresser when a girl appeared in the doorway.

"Finally, someone with a decent taste in music. There is too much pop music blaring at my end of the hallway." Quinn looked up to find a tall brunette leaning against the doorframe. "I'm Jess, by the way."

"Quinn."

"Well nice to meet you, Quinn. You hungry? I was going to head over to the dining hall."

"Sounds great, I'm starving." Quinn grabbed her keys and her new Yale ID card and followed Jess out of the dorm.

"Tell me about yourself, Quinn." This was the question Quinn had been dreading about making new friends. She could leave out how she was in high school, about having Beth at sixteen.

"I grew up in the suburbs of Ohio."

"There's got to be a lot more to you than that. You look like an athlete. What sport did you play in high school?"

"Cheerleading." Jess laughed out loud.

"I would have never pegged you as the prissy cheerleader type."

"I'm not that type. It was just kind of expected in my family. Fabray women become cheerleaders, win prom queen, then get married to a nice Christian man and settled into their lives as a housewife."

"How does Yale fit into that life plan?"

"It was my parents' plan for me. Yale was my plan." Jess contemplated for a minute as they filled their trays and headed over to a small table.

"So Yale is your rebellion? Man, your town must have been really boring." Quinn couldn't decide if she liked Jess or not. She kind of reminded Quinn of Santana.

"Enough about my messed up life. What about you, Jess?" She was trying hard to not let the head bitch tendencies to leak out.

"I grew up in Philadelphia. I have two older brothers, so I was completely Daddy's little girl. My family is really liberal and nobody gave me a life plan. They were actually kind of shocked when I got into Yale, my brothers were always the studious type and I was more of the wild child."

"Then why Yale?"

"I just like to prove to everybody that I can do whatever I want."

Quinn and Jess filled the rest of the meal and the walk back to the dorm with small talk about their schedules and the campus.

"Thanks for inviting me to dinner."

"Hey, no problem. You're a cool girl, Quinn Fabray. Give me your cell number and I'll text you tomorrow for lunch." Quinn recited the number to Jess, who plugged it into her phone. "See you later."

"Bye."

A few other people stopped by Quinn's room as the night wore on. She felt bad that she wasn't making the effort to meet all of the people on her floor right away, but she figured she would see them at the meeting in the morning and she wanted to get unpacked. Once she finally found a place for everything, which was tough given the small amount of space, she grabbed her stuff and went to the bathroom to shower. She locked herself in the changing room and stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower. She slid into the hot water, feeling weird wearing flip-flops. The warm water felt great on her tired body. She had a strong urge to sing, but wasn't in the comfort of her personal bathroom at home and refrained.

When she got back to her room, she closed herself in and got into her pajamas. She grabbed her phone and realized that she had a missed call from Rachel. Quinn excitedly pressed the button to call her back, collapsing on her twin size bed. Rachel picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, Rach!" Quinn said, happy to hear her best friend's voice. "Sorry I missed you before, I was taking a shower."

"It's not a big deal. How's Yale? Have you meet a ton of smart people yet? How is the food?" Quinn laughed at Rachel's urgent questions.

"Rachel, one thing at a time."

"Fine. How is Yale?"

"Yale is good. I met a few people on my floor and I'm all unpacked. Tomorrow I have orientation so I'm sure I'll be able to give you a better update on how Yale is then. How is New York?"

"It's wonderful. I haven't had time to explore yet, but Kurt and I are moved in. He keeps rearranging the furniture though." Quinn laughed, imagining Kurt ordering Rachel around to help him with the furniture.

"Have you met people yet?"

"Not really. We have a big social brunch tomorrow with the other students in our program. How about you?"

"A few stopped by while I was unpacking. I had dinner with this girl on my floor named Jess. She is a little bit like Santana, but more refined."

"That's awesome, Quinn. Kurt is calling for my help again. I'm going to be really busy with stuff tomorrow, but can we talk again on Monday after we start classes?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Can we video chat?"

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll talk to you then."

"Night Rachel. Miss you."

"Miss you too, Q."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Sunday flew by. Quinn felt overwhelmed by everything. She had introduced herself to dozens of new people, but couldn't remember anybody's name. They had given the new freshmen a busy schedule and she had been running from place to place. Jess had texted her to meet for lunch as promised and they sat with a couple of other girls from her floor, including her new roommate, Hayley. Hayley seemed like a nice girl. She was on the shorter side with light brown curly hair and light brown eyes. She was shy, but sweet. Jess' large personality dominated the conversation, but Quinn caught her eye a couple of times and smiled at her. Quinn had a feeling that while it all seemed so hectic right now, Yale was going to be home.

Classes began on Monday morning for all students. Quinn left early to grab coffee from the dining hall on her way to her first English Lit class. She was amazed at Yale's campus, even though she had already visited the school. It had the majestic feel that seemed to be associated with the Ivy League schools and Quinn loved the stately buildings and well-kept lawns. It was the first morning that she had seen the campus bustling as students made their way to class.

She found the building and wandered down a long hallway until she found the right classroom number. A few students were already seated inside. Quinn joined them, picking a desk around the middle of the room and pulling out her notebook. She watched students filter in and take seats around the room. A tall athletic boy sauntered in. Quinn could feel his eyes on her and she blushed uncomfortably. He walked over confidently and sat down at the desk directly next to her. Before he got a chance to address her, the professor walked in. Quinn turned her attention to the man at the front and got absorbed in class.

At the end of the hour, she packed up her bag and found that the boy sitting next to her still hadn't left despite the fact that he had already packed his stuff up.

"I'm Derek," said the boy, holding out his hand.

"Quinn." She reached out and shook the extended hand.

"Nice to meet you, Quinn. I'll see you on Wednesday." He flashed her a big smile and left briskly. Quinn was a little stunned. She was used to high school boys fawning over her with no shame. She had just assumed Derek was just like all the other jocks she had met that cared a lot more about their chance of getting with the head cheerleader than getting to know the girl in the uniform. Yet he left with nothing but finding out her name. Her thoughts swirling, Quinn headed off to her next class.

By the time her next class was over, Quinn was exhausted and starving. She had made plans to meet Hayley, so she headed directly for the dining hall near their dorm. Hayley was already standing by the front door. Quinn greeted her and they walked inside, discussing their morning classes.

After they finished eating, the girls sat for a long time talking. Without Jess around to dominate the conversation, Hayley was much more animated. Quinn enjoyed the company and having someone to really talk to. Hayley was majoring in pre-med and was really serious about her school work. But she also seemed to have been pretty reserved in high school and was excited about college life and the new experiences. Eventually they said goodbye, Hayley heading to her biology lab and Quinn towards her last class of the day.

As soon as class was over, Quinn walked back to her dorm. Despite only having three hours of actual class time today, Quinn felt exhausted. The classes seemed interesting, but they were going to be a lot of work. She knew she should pull out her new textbooks before dinner, but she just couldn't get in the mindset. She sat down at her desk and opened her laptop to check her e-mail instead.

_Hey Q,_

_I know that both of us are going to be really busy this semester. I linked you onto my calendar so you can see my class schedule and whatever important things I have going on. Once you get around to actually updating your calendar, link me to it. Other than that, I'm not giving you any info because I don't want you to run out of things to say to me on our video chat tonight ;)_

_Rach_

Quinn giggled at Rachel's e-mail. It was the first day of classes and she already had a color coded calendar to alert Quinn to her every move. She knew Rachel was over the top, but she found the diva's little ticks endearing. Plus, it convinced her to sit down and update her calendar before dinner as well. As Quinn was putting the finishing touches on the calendar, Jess appeared knocking lightly on the open door. She waited for Quinn to turn around before bounding into the room and sitting on Quinn's bed.

"Are you seriously the kind of dork that is scheduling your study time on the first day of classes?" Jess asked playfully.

"Not usually. But my best friend sent me hers already so I figured I'd get mine done too." Quinn blushed when she said best friend, unsure how to put Rachel into words at the moment.

"Are you embarrassed by your best friend? Because you got really pink all of a sudden." _Damn, I didn't think she would notice._

"Not embarrassed, no. I just don't know how to describe her. We're kind of more than friends." Now Quinn was scarlet. She never thought she would be coming out of the closet to the first friend she was making at Yale.

"Quinn, calm down. It was totally obvious that you were gay from the moment I saw you. I wouldn't have stopped to check you out otherwise."

"C-Check me out?" Quinn stuttered.

"Are you unaware of how good looking you are? Because I'm pretty sure you made a living off of them as head cheerleader in high school."

"You're gay?" asked Quinn incredulously.

"Yeah, and apparently a lot more comfortable with my sexuality than you are with yours." Jess flashed a confident, yet reassuring smile at the blonde.

"I've just never had to come out to anybody before. It's a really new thing. I only kissed my first girl like two weeks ago and it's been a spiral from there. My closest friends were all there to see it happen so I didn't have to come out and I haven't told my mom or anything yet." Quinn's confession just poured out of her mouth without thought.

"Well tell me about this best friend turned more than a friend."

"Where to start? Her name is Rachel. We kind of used to be enemies because I was the head bitch cheerleader and she was the head of the glee club. Then I ended up in glee club because Rachel was trying to steal my quarterback boyfriend who had joined glee club. So I spent a lot of time despising her. Then I got pregnant and was shunned by everybody except Rachel, who was the one person who should have been the happiest to see my fall from power. After that we started building a friendship. So we became best friends, my closest childhood friend, Santana, kissed me and I realized I was into girls and by the end of the week I had kissed Rachel and now we're seeing how things progress. She's at NYADA in New York City for performing arts."

"Did you just tell me your whole high school life in a minute? We are going to need some serious back-tracking over the next week for me to absorb all of this." Quinn couldn't help but laugh. Jess was so easy to talk to, but she still had a lot of similar traits to Santana. "But first, let's eat dinner. Then you can retrace back to when you told me you were a cheerleader but also a dork and managed to fall for the queen dork."

After dinner, Jess found herself back on Quinn's bed, the blonde sitting next to her with her laptop propped on her thigh so she could show Jess her friends from home, particularly Rachel.

"Wow, she was a dork, yet a babe under the layers," Jess commented.

"Yeah, Rachel can come off as overbearing because she's so set on her dreams, but her heart is always in the right place. And it helps that she is a total babe once she let me influence her wardrobe." Quinn clicked through the pictures from the week on the lake, showing Jess her closest friends. Her computer starting ringing, signaling that Rachel was trying to connect for their video chat. "Shit, is it 9 already? I'm supposed to chat with Rachel."

"Well answer it, I need to meet this chick and then I'll leave you to be all mushy." She smirked at Quinn, who accepted the call and watched Rachel appear on her screen.

"Hey, Rach! This is my friend, Jess," said Quinn, gesturing to the gorgeous brunette sitting next to her.

"Damn, she's even hotter than in the pictures. Way to go, Quinn." Rachel looked at Quinn confused and Quinn shrugged her shoulders with a sheepish grin. "I'll leave you girls to it. Nice meeting you, Rachel." Jess waved to a stunned Rachel and hopped off of Quinn's bed. "I'll see you tomorrow, Quinn." Quinn said goodnight and turned her attention to Rachel.

"Sorry about that. I lost track of time and she refused to leave without getting to meet you," Quinn apologized, seeing that Rachel was still thrown off guard.

"Did you befriend the most smoking hot lesbian on Yale's campus within two days?" Rachel said in disbelief.

"How did you know she was gay?"

"I have awesome gaydar, Quinn. I grew up with two dads, remember?"

"She's a cool girl and she befriended me, but she's well aware of how things are with you. We're just friends." Quinn wasn't sure why, but she felt the need to ease Rachel's fears that there was anything going on with Jess.

"I'm glad you have someone to hang out with, Quinn. And I'm even happier that you're comfortable with telling people about us. I was really worried about that."

"To be honest, it kind of just slipped out. I brought up you and realized I couldn't explain us without explaining the conditions of our friendship."

"You don't have to keep explaining your actions, Quinn. Tell me how your classes were today instead." Quinn gave her an update on life at Yale and listened intently as Rachel gushed about her classes at NYADA and groaned about the headache that living with Kurt was giving her. They laughed and Quinn wished she could reach through the screen and hold the diva in her arms as they talked about their days.

"It's getting late. I should probably get some reading done before I go to bed."

"Alright, Q. Text me tomorrow and let me know how your photography class goes."

"Will do. Let me know how your acting class goes. Night, Rachel."

"Night, Quinn." Quinn pressed the button, ending the call. It was perfect timing; Hayley walked in from the library. The girls exchanged pleasantries and Hayley settled down at her desk to pick up where she had left off at the library. Quinn was secretly glad that she hadn't chosen pre-med as a major. She sat at her desk too, pulling her psychology book off the shelf and started her own reading.

Hayley was finally giving up on her work and Quinn decided to do the same, her eyes tired. Quinn settled into her bed, getting used to her new surroundings. She lay there for a long time thinking about her day. She had survived her first day as a college student. Things were going well with Rachel. And Quinn had really started to build a friendship with Jess, including opening up about her past. She missed Rachel and her big bed at home, but as she fell asleep, she felt contentment that she was going to be happy here.

Quinn only had photography the next day and it wasn't until the afternoon. She woke up early and decided to get a run in before the heat of the day set in. The Yale campus was beautiful and had already become Quinn's favorite place to run. She let her feet lead while her mind was completely clear. Upon returning to her dorm, she took a shower, got dressed, and sat down to tackle some of her reading before lunch. By the time noon rolled around, Quinn had gotten most of her work done for class the following day. She headed out to meet up with Jess and a couple of the other girls from their floor.

After lunch, she grabbed her school bag from her dorm room and hurried off to her first photography class. Quinn had been looking forward to this class and was not disappointed. For the first two weeks they were only using point and click cameras until they developed a better eye for angles and shadows, which was their main focus right now. Quinn found her eyes being open to things through the viewfinder that she had never seen before. After the lecture and demonstration time, their professor let them loose to practice. Quinn picked up her camera and headed out the door, excited to try it for herself. She found a spot with a bench under the trees that became her focal point and she spent the next forty-five minutes exploring that area from every angle possible with concentration. When her phone vibrated in her pocket to alert her that her practice time was up, she was let down, but headed back to the classroom to look at the pictures she had taken.

They all went to computer stations and plugged in the cameras, extracting the pictures they had taken. Some students only had a few pictures that seemed to be carefully planned and posed. Others had a huge amount of pictures of anything and everything, hoping that they stumbled upon something worth keeping. Quinn focused on her set of pictures, all of them revolving around a single bench.

"These need some work, but it's a great start. You did the right thing by picking one object and trying to discover everything about it, giving you a real understanding of what it looks like. Some of these pictures are really good with the way you captured the angles. You have an eye for this." Quinn was stunned at her professor's comments and took him in as he walked to the next student's station. Half an hour later, Quinn was leaving class, frantically texting Rachel the details of her photography class. She had the camera slung around her neck. It was part of their homework assignment for the week and she was anxious to explore more through the viewfinder. But right now, it was time for dinner and then forcing herself to get through her English Lit reading assignments for class tomorrow morning.

By the end of the week Quinn had adjusted to college life. She loved every minute of the school side and had found time to explore the campus with her camera in hand but was looking forward to letting loose over the weekend. Jess had befriended a couple of sophomore frat boys and they had invited the girls to a party Friday night. Quinn was excited to explore the social side, but was nervous about it being a party where she wouldn't know anybody. She had been to hundreds of parties, but she always had a boyfriend or Rachel with her. Jess liked to party and Quinn figured she would just let her lead.

After her last class, Quinn headed back to her dorm. Once she dropped off her books, she walked down to Jess's room and was greeted by Passion Pit blaring from her iPod speakers. Quinn jumped on the bed next to Jess, who was drawing in a sketchpad.

"I didn't know you could draw. That looks amazing, Jess," said Quinn, looking over the brunette's shoulder.

"I'm full of surprises, Quinn Fabray. One more well-known fact, however, is that I'm ready to go out tonight and meet the ladies that Yale has to offer. And to do that, you will be playing the role of my wingman."

"What? Jess, I can't play wingman! First of all, I've never hit on a girl. Secondly, what about Rachel?" Quinn exclaimed in shock at the brunette's casual request.

"What about Rachel? I'm not asking you to sleep with another girl. I'm just asking you to flirt enough so that I can pick up a girl," Jess stated simply, closing her sketchbook. "This is just as much for you as it is for me. You need to loosen up and have some fun. I'm attractive enough to fly solo if need be."

"If that's the case, why do I have to play your wingman?"

"Because you haven't explored your gay side at all. I'm glad you fell for your best friend and want to live happily ever after, but it doesn't hurt to expose yourself to the scene before you explode out of the closet already married. Plus, I need someone to entertain my target's friends when I try to pick her up."

"Fine. But if you leave me with a bunch of boring, drunk girls, I have full permission to bail on them."

"Deal." Jess smiled at her friend. It amazed her that Quinn was completely oblivious to just how sexy she really was.

Quinn returned to her own room with the intentions of taking a nap before dinner. She picked up her phone and saw a new message from Rachel.

**We made it through our first week! I'm going to see a classmate's band play tonight. You have any plans?**

**Frat party. Jess has decided that I need to be her wingman.**

**You're going to have girls all over you.**

**I only want you, Rach.**

**You're allowed to have fun, Q. We're not exclusive.**

Quinn paused before responding, not sure how to take Rachel's comment.

**But I wouldn't do anything that could mess us up.**

**Q, you're not messing us up by enjoying college. There's a reason we agreed to not jump into a serious relationship.**

**Are you seriously encouraging me to go to a frat party and find a random hookup?**

**I just don't want you to miss out because of me.**

**Rach, do you not want to be with me or something?**

**You know that's not it. But we're just starting this and it's long distance and we agreed to take the month to adjust to college. Discovering yourself is part of that. I need to go though. I'll call you tomorrow.**

Quinn didn't answer Rachel's last text. She was angry and frustrated that Rachel could be so nonchalant about their relationship. Quinn knew that they had agreed to not rush into a serious relationship, but she thought that they were working towards that and now it felt like Rachel would prefer if Quinn explored her other options. Part of her wanted to just do what Rachel was telling her to do and the other part told her that Rachel was testing her commitment.

By nine, Quinn and Jess were dressed to go out and were pre-gaming in Jess's room. Quinn had confessed about her conversation with Rachel, wanting Jess's input. Jess had told her to just let the night decide, but Quinn was still nervous about it. Quinn took in her reflection in the full length mirror. Jess had coaxed her out of her sundress and into a pair of tight jeans and a low-cut top. Her makeup was minimal, but her hazel eyes popped against the shadow. Jess had opted for a similar outfit and her long legs seemed extra long with the addition of a pair of black heels. Quinn gulped down the rest of her mixed drink and announced that she was ready to tackle the night. Jess smiled widely, linked her arm through Quinn's and the girls headed down to the party.

Jess's eye hungrily scanned the room as soon as they entered. She found a small group of girls and her gaydar went off on one of them instantly. Quinn was timidly walking behind Jess, following her towards the keg that was set up in the center of the kitchen. They accepted the cups of cheap beer from the kid working the keg and turned back to watch the people dancing in the living room.

"See that blonde on the side? She's totally a beep." Jess said into Quinn's ear.

"A beep?" asked Quinn, confused.

"Like a metal detector, as you get close to the gold, it beeps louder." She smirked at the baby lesbian.

"Okay, so is she your target?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, and the brunette on her right is yours."

"Jess, I don't know about this. " Her nerves were getting the best of her.

"Quinn, chug that beer and let's go. You are going to loosen up whether you like it or not." She grabbed Quinn's hand and dragged her through the crowd to near where Jess's target was talking to her friends. As soon as they were close, Jess spun around and started dancing against Quinn.

"How is dancing all over me going to get you that girl?" yelled Quinn into Jess's ear over the loud music. Jess's eyes told Quinn very obviously that she would just have to wait and see.

The mixed drinks from their dorm and the beer were starting to hit Quinn. She felt her buzz coming on strong and started to relax. Jess was a great dancer and she pushed into Quinn, forcing the blonde to move her hips as well.

"I'm going to go get us another beer. You go ask that hot brunette to dance so that I can move in on her friend when I get back." Quinn was apprehensive but nodded her approval. Jess disappeared into the crowd, leaving Quinn on her own. Quinn turned to face the group of girls and caught the brunette's eye. She let her eyes talk. Quinn focused her attention directly into the brown eyes, her face emotionless. It was obvious that the brunette girl was intrigued and she began to walk towards Quinn, who just smirked confidently.

"I'm Lauren," said the brunette into Quinn's ear, skipping the handshake and instead snaking her arm around Quinn's waist to pull her in to dance. She wasn't as fluid as Jess as a dancer, but she was definitely trying to seduce Quinn regardless. There was no point of trying to strike up a conversation over the loud music, so Quinn just let herself relax into the girl, their bodies grinding against one another.

Quinn saw Jess make her way through the crowd and she paused at Quinn only long enough to hand her a beer and wink before moving along to the tall blonde that was watching Quinn and Lauren. Lauren's hands were running along Quinn's sides and Quinn couldn't deny that she was enjoying the attention. She kept glancing over at Jess, who was dancing a few feet away, the blonde pressed tightly against her. Quinn had no doubts that Jess would be getting lucky tonight.

Turning back to the brunette, Quinn made her decision that Rachel insisted she should have fun and explore, so that's what Quinn was going to do. She leaned in and pressed her lips again Lauren's and the brunette willingly met the embrace. They grinded against one another, swapping between drinking their beers and making out.

"Do you want to get out of here?" asked Lauren into Quinn's ear.

"I'm not looking for anything serious," said Quinn back, wanting to be clear in her intentions. Lauren just smiled and pulled Quinn through the crowd and out of the house.

Next thing Quinn knew, she was straddling Lauren on Lauren's twin bed in an unfamiliar dorm. Quinn willed herself to not think about Rachel as the brunette's hands slid under the hem of her shirt, but she couldn't help it. All she wanted was Rachel's hands on her, making her feel like she had a week ago.

"Lauren, I'm sorry but I can't do this," Quinn said, climbing off the girl's hips. "You're sexy and fun, but I'm just not ready."

"Damn you're a tease, Quinn." It was obvious that the brunette was not amused by the turn of events. "You're obviously a baby lesbian, but just let me show you how it's done." She pulled Quinn back towards her.

"It's more than that. I'm sorry. See you around." Quinn grabbed her purse and headed out of the dorm, leaving the huffing brunette behind.

When Quinn got back to her own room, Hayley was already asleep. She got ready for bed and climbed under the covers. As soon as she was in bed, the tears started falling.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: This is more of a filler chapter than anything else. Hopefully there'll be more coming soon as long as work doesn't get too busy. Thanks for reading and the nice reviews!**

**Chapter 18**

The throbbing pain in her head was Quinn's reward in the morning. She rolled over to see Hayley sitting at her desk reading. The digital clock told Quinn that it was past 11. She dragged herself into a sitting position, massaging her temples trying to ease the pain.

"I got you some Gatorade and a banana from the dining hall," Hayley said, lifting her head from the book.

"Thanks, Hayley." Quinn grabbed the bottle from her desk and chugged half of it.

"Did you have a good night?"

"Not really," admitted Quinn. The party was good but my evening got sloppy on my own poor decisions." Quinn didn't feel like discussing her girl issues with Hayley who didn't seem to know that her roommate was gay yet. "Did you do anything fun?"

"I hung out with a couple of people in my program, but bio majors aren't that exciting." Hayley was absentmindedly flipping through her book.

"Well I don't know what Jess and I are up to tonight, but knowing Jess it's a party if you want to join us."

"That would be a lot of fun. Thanks, Quinn." The girl smiled at her and returned to her studying. Quinn grabbed her shower caddy and towel and headed to the bathroom feeling a little bit better already.

As soon as Quinn sat at her desk to start her homework, her cell phone went off. The caller ID informed her that it was Rachel. Not wanting to disturb Hayley, she slipped on her shoes and headed into the hallway to answer the call.

"Hey, Quinn!"

"Hey."

"Can I just tell you that I love it here? This really is the city that never sleeps!" Rachel was extremely upbeat this morning.

"I'm glad you're happy, Rach. Were you out late last night?"

"Yeah, Kurt and I returned to our apartment around 4."

"Then how the hell are you so happy this morning? I got back before two and I felt like death when I woke up."

"I'm just a morning person. You are most definitely not." Quinn laughed, knowing Rachel was completely accurate. "How was your night?"

"Were you serious about us enjoying college and doing whatever we want since we're not exclusive or was it just a test to see if I could handle the distance?"

"What?"

"Do you really want me to hook up with other people or are you just seeing if I'd cheat on you?"

"I just want you to enjoy college and get used to everything and really have time to consider before we talk about committing ourselves to a long distance relationship."

"Did you hook up with anybody last night?" Quinn couldn't help it, she needed to know.

"Well, no. I danced with a bunch of guys and one asked me for my number but I just had fun. Why?"

"I met a girl last night. I was playing wingman for Jess so I was dancing with her and we kissed. She asked me to go back to her dorm so I did. But then I couldn't go through with it. All I could think about was how much I wanted you and that I didn't want to sleep with someone else just for the hell of it." Quinn finished, her heart pounding.

"I'm glad you had a good time, Quinn. I'm not upset with you so stop freaking out. And don't deny it, I know you're freaking out."

"I'm sorry, Rach."

"There's nothing to be sorry about. You're allowed to hook up with other people."

"But I don't want to."

"Well then don't. But I'm sticking to our original agreement. We'll talk about our relationship when I come to visit in three weeks."

"Alright. Are you going to go out with that guy if he calls you?"

"Huh?"

"The one that asked for your number."

"Just because he asked doesn't mean I gave it to him."

"Oh, okay. Well I'm glad you're happy in the city, Rach. Not that I had any doubts; you were born to be a New Yorker."

"I hope you love Yale. I can't wait for you to show me the campus."

"It's so beautiful and is everything I ever dreamed a college campus to be. I've been taking a ton of pictures for my photography class. My professor told me that I have potential."

"That's awesome, Quinn. You should send me some, I'd love to see them."

"I will. I should probably go hit the books."

"Yeah, me too. Miss you, Quinnie."

"Miss you too, Rach."

Quinn sighed as she ended the call. Rachel wasn't upset with her. It was going to be a long three weeks, but Quinn was determined to show Rachel how much she cared about her and wanted to be with her, despite the distance and their busy schedules. She sat back down at her desk and began working on her paper in a much better mood than she had been in all morning.

Jess finally appeared in Quinn's room in the late afternoon with a big grin on her face.

"So you got laid last night, Fabray?"

"Nope."

"But you totally left with that hot brunette."

"Yeah, I did. But I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't get Rachel out of my mind." Quinn looked up from her book with a sheepish grin.

"Well you play a damn good wingman at least," added Jess. "The blonde chick had me up all night." Jess had an impish grin on her face, obviously reliving the night's events in her mind.

"Spare me the details, please," said Quinn, laughing. "So are going out tonight?"

"You bet, Nicole, the blonde chick, told me about another party so we should definitely check it out." Quinn turned her attention to her roommate, who was still sitting at her desk studying.

"You want to come with us, Hayl?" The shy girl turned to look at Quinn.

"You guys don't mind?" she asked timidly.

"Definitely not. I could use a dance partner while Jess stalks her prey." The smaller girl smiled widely and Jess smirked.

"Alright, I'll come."

"Let's eat and then we have plenty of time to pregame and get ready!" The other two left their books behind and followed Jess out of the room.

By the time the girls left to head to the party, the three of them were already sporting a good buzz. Quinn felt light-hearted as she crossed campus with her two new friends. Having Hayley with her would make it a lot easier to not get pulled into Jess's antics and Quinn was grateful for that.

The party was already in full swing when they arrived and Jess made a beeline for the keg, pulling the other two along with her. Quinn accepted her solo cup, sipping at her beer as she surveyed the room. It was a bigger party than the one last night and there were so many unfamiliar faces. Hayley stood close to Quinn, obviously nervous. Quinn smiled at her and pulled her into the living room to dance. Jess was already working the room with her eyes, trying to find tonight's target. Quinn laughed watching the tall brunette's intense stares towards a red head across the room. She let herself loose, dancing with Hayley and enjoying the music. She was surprised when there was a tap on her shoulder. It was Derek, the boy that had set next to her in English Lit that week.

"Pleasure to see you, Quinn," he called into her ear. Quinn just smiled at him. "Dance with me?" Quinn looked over at Hayley, who nodded and Quinn let him take her hand. They were dancing and Quinn was enjoying herself. She had no intentions of returning to her track record of male jocks, but the attention was still flattering. When her beer was empty, Derek grabbed her hand and guided her back through to the kitchen for a refill.

It was much quieter in the kitchen and they could actually have a conversation over the music. Quinn figured it was best to be upfront with Derek so that he didn't waste his whole night chasing her.

"Derek, I'm not looking for anything tonight."

"And here I thought I was being a perfect gentleman who was not trying to get in your pants." Quinn blushed and he grinned at her.

"I should say I'm not looking for anything, ever. I'm not interested in guys." Derek looked a little taken aback but recovered quickly. Quinn was surprised by how easy it was becoming to be herself.

"So then you're the perfect friend to help me pick up straight girls." She smiled at his joke. "You want to grab coffee Monday afternoon and we can actually talk?" Quinn nodded and said goodbye so that she could go find Hayley.

Monday morning came and Quinn found herself happily sitting next to Derek in English Lit. Quinn noticed that a few of the girls seemed interested in the two of them and Quinn felt like she was back in high school, on top of the social circle with the best athlete on her arm. Except that she wasn't interested in Derek and she wasn't preoccupied with her social status.

"I'll meet you there at three?" asked Derek as they packed after class.

"Definitely. See you then, Derek," said Quinn smiling and enjoying the looks on the other girls' faces as she walked away. Apparently being gay didn't take away her ability of making everybody jealous of her life.

Quinn walked into the coffee shop right on time and spotted Derek sitting at a table near the window. He waved at her and she went to the counter to order her coffee before joining him. Clutching her cup, she sat down across from him.

"Hey, you." Derek flashed her his winning smile.

"Hey, Derek."

"I'm sorry that I was hitting on you the other night. I had no idea." Quinn laughed and Derek looked at her sheepishly.

"Derek, I've only known myself for like two weeks. And before that discovery, you are completely the type of guy I went for. I didn't mean to shoot you down so harshly. This is all new for me too."

"Well as long as there are no hard feelings. So what is your new type then?" asked Derek, grinning again.

"Small brunette divas apparently." Quinn and Derek spent the next two hours chatting and laughing. He was a really nice guy and Quinn felt bad that she had made a snap judgment about him like old Quinn would have in high school. He was on the lacrosse team and loved literature as much as she did. She knew that they were going to be good friends and agreed to meet tomorrow to work on an assignment for class.

Quinn spent the evening going through her photos for her class tomorrow. There were a handful that she really liked and she e-mailed them to Rachel. Within five minutes, her phone was ringing.

"Hey, Quinn!"

"Hey!"

"I got your pictures. They are really, really good. You're a natural at this, Quinn."

"I wouldn't go that far. I took like 200 pictures this week and just happened to get lucky with a few shots."

"Well, they are still awesome and you've only gone to one class."

"Thanks, Rach. How's everything down by you?"

"It's really great. I spent Sunday exploring the city with some people from class. Right now I'm working on my outline for a manuscript that I have to do. Writing plays is a lot more difficult than performing them."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something great."

"Yeah but I'm just too much of a perfectionist for these kinds of tasks. I really should get back to this; it's due tomorrow. I just wanted to tell you how awesome I thought your photos were."

"Thanks, Rach. I'll talk to you soon. Miss you."

"Miss you too."

Quinn organized the rest of her pictures and got ready for bed. She smiled to herself; Yale was definitely working out. Plus, things seemed like they were going well with Rachel. Now she only had to get through three more weeks.

Quinn was walking on air after her photography class on Tuesday. Her professor had liked the photos she had taken. They had moved onto a more complex camera and Quinn couldn't wait to have time to try it out. She knew it was just an elective class, but it had easily become her favorite. She spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around campus with the camera,

"You're pretty obsessed with that thing, aren't you?" Jess had appeared behind Quinn, her bag slung over her shoulder.

"My parents never let me take any electives in high school. Photography is like seeing the world in a completely different light."

"Do you only do nature shots? Or are you going to let me model for you?"

"I've never done any of that, but I guess I could try it."

"Well get started, Fabray," said Jess, swinging her hips and she began to walk away from Quinn. Quinn lifted the camera and focused on Jess through the viewfinder, adjusting the lens. When Jess flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned back, Quinn snapped the photo. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon walking around campus, chatting as Quinn snapped photos, most of them with Jess as the subject. She was a natural beauty, but as they talked, Quinn tried to draw emotion out of her, seeing the pain in Jess's eyes when she talked about her over-achieving brothers and always living in their shadow. Quinn was realizing how much photography could show just by capturing the emotion on a person's face. It was exhilarating.

It started to get dark and the girls returned to their dorm. Quinn said goodbye and thanks to Jess and headed straight for her computer to upload the pictures she had taken. There were a ton of them and Quinn slowly sorted through them, bookmarking the ones that she really liked. Her eyes were tired and Quinn decided she would sort through them later, getting ready for bed instead. She hadn't talked to Rachel all day and she missed her. But she knew from Rachel's schedule that she had a study group meeting this evening so she couldn't call her. She decided it couldn't hurt to send her a text as she snuggled into her bed.

**Missed you today. Hope you had a good one. Night, Rach.**

Quinn held her phone in her fist, as she got comfortable and tried to go to sleep. She knew Rachel was busy, but she still hoped to get a response. Eventually Quinn fell asleep with no response.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

Rachel loved New York. She knew from the moment she had stepped onto the stage of Wicked with Kurt that this city was meant for her. It seemed surreal that it was all happening. NYADA was just the first step to the rest of her life.

But when Rachel imagined beginning her life in New York, she had always thought she would be alone. Rachel knew that Finn would hold her back from her dreams and even though she thought she had loved him, she wasn't going to let him get in the way. Kurt was in New York with her, but they were both chasing their dreams. Then Quinn came into the picture and now Rachel's life seemed upside down.

Rachel hadn't been completely herself since she had become friends with Quinn. She found herself enjoying life more and not fretting over details constantly. Quinn forced her to relax and live instead of obsessing with planning. Rachel cherished that friendship and lately they had blurred those lines. She knew that Quinn brought out the best in her, but she couldn't help but be a little hesitant. Rachel had always thought of her sexuality as fluid; it was part of being an actress. But Quinn had been raised in a very strict household and still struggled with her beliefs. Yet she seemed completely smitten and it had only been a couple of weeks. Rachel still felt bad about what Quinn was going through. Rachel knew she had basically forced Quinn to go out and hook up with other people and felt guilty when she heard how upset Quinn was when she admitted that she had tried. It wasn't that Rachel didn't want Quinn to herself; she just didn't want Quinn to rush into all of this.

The sound of Kurt calling her from the living room awoke Rachel from her thoughts. She sighed and dragged herself off the bed, knowing his persistence.

"What's up, Kurt?"

"I think we should have a housewarming party on Friday. You know, invite over some of the NYADA people and show off my amazing decorating skills."

"We could do that. Should we go with wine and cheese? Is that too fancy?"

"We're talking about a room full of divas, Rachel. There is never anything too fancy for them."

"Okay, well let's starting planning then! I don't want work on my manuscript." The two settled in at their small kitchen table, excitedly planning their first grownup party together.

Rachel had been so absorbed in planning that she had completely forgotten that she was supposed to video chat with Quinn. As soon as she saw what time it was, she ran from the table, leaving behind a confused Kurt.

Quinn's icon was active, meaning she was sitting at her computer waiting for Rachel. Rachel hit the call button and pulled her laptop onto her bed with her.

"Oh my gosh, Quinn, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot that we had a video date," Rachel rambled as soon as Quinn's face appeared on her screen.

"It's okay, Rachel." Rachel could tell Quinn was a little hurt.

"Kurt suggested that we have some of our NYADA friends over for a housewarming party on Friday so we were planning and I got absorbed and lost track of time," Rachel said, trying to explain.

"Did I make the guest list at least?" Quinn's question obviously took Rachel aback.

"But you're in New Haven, Quinnie. I thought we agreed that I would visit you first."

"Do you not want me to come to New York?" Quinn felt on the verge of tears as she took in Rachel's face on her screen.

"That's not it at all, Quinn. I just figured you were busy getting settled in there with your friends and classes and everything. You know I'd love to have you here if you want to come." That made Quinn's smile return.

"Well then I want to be there. I love it here, Rach, and I've made some really good friends and classes are amazing. But I miss you. Plus, New York would be awesome to explore with my camera for my photography class. And I get to meet all your classmates, which I have imagined to be a whole group of you and Kurt and that is intimidating." Rachel laughed at Quinn's rambling. She knew the blonde was excited that Rachel was allowing her to break the original agreement of not seeing each other until the beginning of October.

"Well text me when you know when you're getting here so I can be there to meet you."

"I will. I don't have class on Friday but I know you do, so I'll plan to get into the city after you're done."

"Perfect. Miss you."

"Miss you too, babe."

Rachel smiled as she ended the call. Quinn was showing a new side lately. Rachel knew that she had always been a little insecure underneath her HBIC attitude, but she was actually letting the world see her.

"Quinn is coming to visit this weekend," Rachel informed Kurt as she poured herself a glass of water.

"She is having separation anxiety already?" Kurt joked, looking up at the diva.

"Like you should talk. Poor Blaine has been the one comforting you every night and you're the one that moved so far away." Kurt swatted at Rachel's arm playfully.

"I can't help it. I know this is my dream, but I just wish that he could be here to chase it too."

"Let him finish high school first. You know as soon as that happens, he'll make his way out here to join you."

"I know, but I miss him now," pouted Kurt. "But don't change the subject. Quinn is missing you big time. I thought you girls agreed that you could visit her after a month."

"We did, but I couldn't say no to her request to come visit. She was giving me sad eyes and I know that she loves Yale so it's not like she's trying to escape because she's unhappy."

"Do you think she'll be overwhelmed by the NYADA crew?" Rachel laughed. Kurt knew that Quinn was going to be surrounded by people that shared their most extreme ambitions, some who were even more intense than Rachel.

"Hopefully the wine and the cute girl on her arm will help." Rachel bade him goodnight and got ready for bed. She didn't know what the weekend held, but as she lay in bed she felt herself excited about having Quinn in New York.

Thursday was a busy day for Rachel. She didn't expect to hear from Quinn, so she was surprised to see an e-mail from her with all of her travel details for the next day. Rachel only had morning classes, so Quinn had arranged to get in around 1 so that she could be around to help Kurt and Rachel set up for their party. Despite her exhaustion, she felt overjoyed at the prospect of getting to see Quinn tomorrow afternoon. She sent Quinn back an e-mail confirming the details before forcing herself to settle in to do her homework.

-.-.-.-

Quinn didn't know where her neediness was coming from. She had always been admiringly independent. But she sat at her desk for almost an hour tapping her pen waiting for Rachel. They had made plans for a video chat, but Rachel hadn't appeared. Quinn knew that she was busy with school, but she felt let down that Rachel had forgotten about her so easily. So when Rachel's face appeared on her screen, she was overjoyed.

Next thing she knew, she was feeling jealous that Rachel had forgotten about her because she was planning a party for her new friends. The jealousy took over and she convinced Rachel to let her come to New York that weekend. Quinn missed her so much and she knew it was against their agreement, but Rachel had given into her so easily that she knew the brunette wanted to see her too.

"What are you so smiley about?" asked Hayley, returning to their room after another long evening in the library.

"I'm going to New York this weekend to see Rachel," Quinn said happily. She had filled Hayley in on the details of her relationship with Rachel at lunch earlier that week.

"I thought she was insisting that you guys survive a month apart before talking about being in a relationship."

"She was, but she gave in pretty easily when I said I wanted to visit. She's having a housewarming party with some of her new friends from school on Friday."

"Well that's great, Quinn. I'm glad that you're so happy." Quinn was still amazed at how accepting people were at Yale compared to Lima. Nobody had even blinked at her confessions of being gay, including the girl that was forced to live with her.

"Thanks, Hayley." The girls turned back to their own work and settled into a comfortable silence.

Quinn woke up early on Thursday to book her trip to New York the next day. As soon as she worked out the details, she e-mailed Rachel before getting ready for class. She felt like she was walking on air all day.

"Hayley informs me that you broke already and are chasing Rachel to New York." Quinn turned to find Jess standing in the room, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

"I'm not chasing her anywhere. I wouldn't give up Yale for her, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't take advantage of seeing her when I can," Quinn retorted.

"You're so smitten with this girl; it's kind of pathetic." Jess settled herself onto Quinn's bed.

"So I really like her. What's the big deal? I mean you might be the type that likes to go home with a new girl every night, but I've always been a relationship type. Plus, sleeping with Rachel is so mind-blowing that I don't need to find it anywhere else." It was Quinn's turn to smirk.

"To each their own I suppose. As long as she doesn't get in your way of having a good time with me, I'm cool with you being tied down."

"You need to meet my friend, Santana. You guys are eerily similar."

After Jess left, Quinn packed her duffel bag for tomorrow. She planned on staying up late tonight to get her work done for Monday so that she would be able to dedicate the whole weekend to Rachel.

Friday morning came quickly and Quinn woke to her alarm with butterflies in her stomach. She had a few hours until she had to be at the bus station, but she was panicked. Had she packed enough outfit choices? She completely forgot to ask Rachel what the dress code was for the party tonight. Quinn showered and got dressed before running over to the dining hall to grab a bagel and some coffee. Quinn was taking the local bus right from the campus to the bus station, so she left plenty early to walk across the campus.

She was anxious to say the least. Quinn sat on the bench jiggling her leg as she waited for the bus. She still had quite a few hours until she would actually be in New York, but she was ready to get the journey started. The bus finally arrived and Quinn jumped aboard, knowing there was no turning back now.

A few hours later, the coach bus pulled into the Port Authority terminal. Quinn waited impatiently for the passengers in front of her to unload and even more impatiently to retrieve her duffel bag from the storage compartment below. Finally she was able to exit into the station, her eyes searching for the small diva.

It took a few long moments, but eventually Quinn spotted the brunette and walked briskly towards her, a smile wide across her face. She was facing the other way so Quinn called out her name and she turned abruptly, her face lighting up at the sight of the blonde.

Quinn dropped her bags at the brunette's feet and wrapped her arms around the diva, pulling her in and kissing her in the middle of the station. It was a short kiss, but it satisfied Quinn's need for the moment.

"God, I missed you," said Quinn softly, brushing the hair off of Rachel's face.

"I'm glad you're here, Quinn, I really am. Let's head back to my apartment though." She swung Quinn's backpack over her shoulder and Quinn picked up her camera bag and duffel bag as they headed out of the station.

Quinn followed Rachel as she weaved between people on their way to her apartment. It had only been a few weeks, but Rachel seemed like a true New Yorker. They hopped on the subway downtown, Rachel pulled her up at her stop and they walked for a few blocks on the busy Manhattan streets before Rachel stopped at an older apartment building. They headed up to the third floor and Rachel pushed the door open to her apartment.

"Welcome to our humble abode," said Rachel, holding the door and allowing Quinn to enter the small apartment.

"It looks awesome. Kurt sure has an eye for design."

"Damn straight, woman." Kurt entered from his bedroom and immediately walked over to give Quinn a hug.

"We have a lot of prep to do for tonight. I haven't gotten any of the necessary supplies and I need to make an appropriate playlist for the optimal background music. Plus I need you to help me pick an outfit, Kurt." Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand, calming her instantly.

"We'll get it all done, Rach. I'm here to help. Go get your insanely detailed shopping list that I know you've already prepared and we'll go to the store." She smiled at Rachel, who scurried out of the room to get the list.

"You sure have a handle on her, Quinn. I wish I knew your secrets," Kurt said, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile.

"It's all in the kiss, Hummel. I don't think you can help her there." Rachel returned, obviously flustered.

"I have the list but I know I've missed something important. I am going to ruin this party."

"Rach, it's a wine and cheese party. We need wine and we need cheese. As long as you have the alcohol, everything else will be fine, I promise." She took the brunette's hand again and led her out of the apartment.

The girls headed back onto the Manhattan streets and Quinn held Rachel's hand as the brunette led the way to the store. It felt perfect to be there with Rachel. It had only been a week, but she had missed everything about this.

"So I know we have the party tonight, but do you have anything else scheduled for the weekend? I don't want you to have rearrange anything around me being here," Quinn said softly.

"One of my friends was talking about going to a karaoke bar tomorrow night. Apparently they are lenient on the drinking age. But we don't have to meet them if you don't want to," Rachel replied.

"That sounds perfect, Rach. So we have all day to explore then?"

"Yeah, I know you said you want to get out with your camera so I made a list of places that I think would be good to visit. They aren't all really touristy but we can do those attractions on a different trip."

"Anything with you would be perfect." Quinn's comment made Rachel blush. They arrived at the store and Rachel immediately went into serious mode, grabbing two baskets and handing one to Quinn as she started to read off the list. They made their way up and down the tight aisles, filling the baskets with all of Rachel's necessary party items.

By the time they checked out and returned to the apartment, Kurt had set up the living room with extra folding chairs and cushions for their guests. He had enlisted the help of one of their classmates to get the wine, so that would be arriving later. The girls got the food ready and Quinn let Rachel arrange everything perfectly on the platters before they got dressed for the occasion.

Kurt was in Rachel's room, pawing through her closet to find an acceptable outfit for the hostess. He was already dressed and Quinn couldn't help but laugh at the fact that he would always be better dressed than them no matter how hard they tried. He and Quinn finally convinced Rachel into a simple navy blue dress and matching heels. As soon as Rachel's wardrobe was agreed upon, Kurt insisted on seeing what Quinn was planning on wearing. She extracted a pair of tight dark jeans, a v-neck black tank top that showed off her muscular arms and cleavage, and knee-high black boots with a heel.

"I shouldn't have questioned Quinn Fabray. Despite all of those pastel sundresses in your wardrobe, you definitely have a flair for fashion." Kurt winked at her and skipped out of the room, leaving the girls to get ready.

Rachel walked over to her computer and turned on one of her playlists. She sang along happily as she got dressed and acquiesced to Quinn straightening her hair and doing her makeup. Quinn took in her handiwork, pleased at the final product. Rachel Berry looked hot. It was Quinn's turn and she slipped into her outfit, noticing how Rachel's eyes barely left her ass the whole time. She picked up the still hot straightener and ran it through her short hair, flattening out the creases it had accumulated over the day. She braided some of the golden into a natural headband and went for simple but sultry makeup. Quinn wanted to make sure that Rachel wouldn't be able to take her eyes off of Quinn all night.

"We have about half an hour until the party starts," Rachel said nervously.

"How do you want me to act in front of your friends, Rach?" Quinn asked, having avoided the conversation all day.

"What do you mean? Just be yourself."

"Being myself means wanting to hold your hand and kiss you whenever I want to. I don't know how much you've told your friends and I don't want to act like your girlfriend if that's not what you want." Quinn felt the words fall out of her mouth rapidly, Rachel gazing intently into her eyes.

"Quinn, you know I like you. We haven't defined the terms of our relationship, but I'm not going to pretend like there's nothing going on between us just because we're around my friends." The brunette walked over and lifted her head up to meet Quinn's lips. "Like I said, just be the Quinn Fabray I know and love and my friends will love you too." Quinn returned the kiss with a more passionate one, her tongue pushing for access to Rachel's mouth. The girls stood there locked into one another, their tongues fighting for dominance and their arms wound around one another.

"Rachel! Kyle is here with the wine!" Kurt had opened the door to fetch Rachel. "Oh, sorry," he said with a grin and turned back out of the room.

"I guess I should go help the boys," said Rachel, kissing Quinn gently on the nose and squeezing her hand before she followed Kurt out of the room.

Quinn would have much rather just skipped the party and trapped Rachel in her room now that her heart was pounding and she could feel the wetness between her thighs. But she knew she didn't have a choice. Quinn sighed and followed the brunette into the living room to meet her friends.

Rachel's friends weren't quite like Quinn was expecting. She had envisioned a room full of the high school version of Rachel. But they were surprisingly laidback and cool. The wine was flowing and people were enjoying the food and the company. Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist from behind as Rachel opened another bottle of wine in the small kitchen.

"Everybody is having a great time, Rach," Quinn whispered into the small diva's ear. Rachel spun around and let her arms drape onto Quinn's shoulders.

"I'm glad you're here, Quinn."

"Me too, Rach. Thanks for letting me break the agreement. I needed this." She pulled the brunette closer and pressed their lips together. "I should let you get back to hosting," said Quinn, forcing herself to release Rachel. She refilled her wine glass and went back to join the group, cuddling in next to Kurt on the couch.

It was late by the time Rachel and Kurt's friends said their goodbyes. Quinn was glad at how well the night had turned out. She had really enjoyed getting to know part of Rachel's New York life and now she had a great buzz and a beautiful girl to herself.

"We'll clean up in the morning, Rachel," she said, pulling Rachel into her and kissing her. "I'm ready to get you into bed." Rachel hesitated for a moment, but allowed Quinn to pull her towards her bedroom, leaving the living room scattered with wine glasses and plates.

As soon as they were inside the room, Quinn pushed the door closed and had Rachel up against it, kissing her hard. Rachel responded, her hand on Quinn's face as the blonde continued with her hard, urgent kisses. Quinn's hands wandered along Rachel's sides, desperate for the feeling of her flesh. She grabbed the bottom of the dress and started forcing it up. Rachel broke the kiss to pull the dress over her head and throwing it to the side as she met Quinn's lips again, her tongue entering Quinn's mouth.

"God, Rach, I missed you. I missed this," Quinn mumbled in between kisses. Rachel moaned softly into her mouth and she pushed Quinn back towards her bed. Quinn's legs hit the bed and she tumbled back onto it, Rachel collapsing on top of her, her hands pulling at Quinn's top. Quinn pushed herself up a little, allowing the shirt to be pulled over her head before meeting Rachel's lips again, her kisses growing more passionate. Her hand found the clasp on Rachel's bra and she undid it, letting the bra slide off of her shoulders. She worked her hands up Rachel's body until she was gently kneading her breasts, making Rachel moan and lean into her kisses. Quinn let her hand its way up to the nipple, pinching it lightly between her thumb and forefinger.

"Oh, God..Quinn.." Rachel moaned. Quinn rolled the brunette onto her back and straddled her waist and leaned her face down to take the other nipple into her mouth, her tongue swirling around it as Rachel continued to moan. "Quinn..please.."

"Please what?" Quinn asked huskily, lifting her mouth from the nipple momentarily.

"I need more.." Quinn let her thigh slip between Rachel's legs and grinded up into her heat. Rachel moaned and fumbled with the button on Quinn's jeans, desperate for more contact. Quinn rocked her hips into the brunette, her lips finding Rachel's nipple again, driving the girl wild with pleasure. She pulled away abruptly to shimmy off her jeans and unhook her bra, leaving them both with nothing but their panties.

"You're beautiful, Rachel," she said, climbing back on top of her, her bare thigh getting wet as it rubbed against Rachel's soaked panties. She began kissing up Rachel's chest, pausing to let her tongue swirl along her neck, tasting the salty sweat that had appeared and continuing to move up to meet Rachel's lips again. Quinn leaned down onto her elbow of her left arm and let her right hand move down to cup Rachel's mound, her fingers stroking slowly over the material of her panties.

"I want to feel you inside of me," gasped Rachel into Quinn's mouth and Quinn couldn't refuse the offer. She pulled Rachel's panties down roughly and let her fingers glide through the wet folds to Rachel's opening. She teased it, letting one finger push inside up to the first knuckle before removing it again. She was going tantalizingly slow and Rachel was bucking her hips up to Quinn's fingers, trying to force the blonde to satisfy her desperate need. "Please, Quinn. I'm begging you.."

"Well, since you're begging…" Quinn thrust two fingers into the brunette, causing the small diva to release a guttural moan. Rachel met her thrusts, pushing her hips into Quinn's hand as her hands rolled Quinn's hard nipples between her fingers. Rachel's breathing was becoming increasingly ragged and Quinn sped up her thrusting, allowing her palm to rub against the engorged clit as Rachel approached her climax.

"Fuck..Quinn..oh god, I'm cumming…" The brunette moaned loudly, her body convulsing as she was thrown over the edge. Quinn felt Rachel's walls clamp against her fingers and she felt a new flood of wetness in between her thighs and a moan escaped from her own throat. She removed her fingers as Rachel came down from her orgasm, slipping them into her mouth to taste Rachel's juices before leaning down to kiss the diva.

Without warning, Rachel grabbed Quinn tightly, her tongue assaulting Quinn's mouth and her hand pushing aside her panties, too desperate to bother removing them completely. She ran her fingers along Quinn's folds, taking in how wet the blonde had gotten. Quinn was moaning softly, wanting more. Rachel couldn't resist and allowed a finger to slide into the blonde, curling against the inside wall.

"Rach.." was all Quinn could muster as Rachel's hand began pumping, adding a finger. Quinn leaned down and was kissing Rachel hard, moaning into the diva's mouth. Rachel let her thumb rub the bundle of nerves as her fingers slid in and out of Quinn, curling to hit the sweet spot. "Fuck…I'm coming…fuck.. oh…Rachel…god.." Quinn couldn't form coherent phrases as Rachel's fingers threw her other the edge, causing her hips to buck wildly until she collapsed in exhaustion on top of the brunette.

"Damn, you're sexy when you cum," Rachel said from beneath the blonde.

"I love you, Rachel," Quinn whispered into Rachel's ear. She felt the brunette tense beneath her.

"Oh.." was all Rachel could manage in her shell shock.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Quinn rolled off of Rachel and jumped to her feet in horror, rustling through her duffel bag and pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Quinn, look at me," Rachel urged softly, trying to get over her own shock. She adamantly refused, keeping her back to the naked brunette.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I feel so stupid."

"Quinn, it is completely understandable. We have been friends for a while and care deeply for one another. It isn't surprising that becoming intimate with me has caused you to fall in love so quickly." Quinn laughed at Rachel's formality in such an emotional situation.

"People don't drop the L bomb after three weeks when they're not even dating, Rachel." She refused to move her hands despite Rachel trying to make her do so.

"Maybe not. But we've known each other well for a lot longer than three weeks. You grew up in a household that didn't display any type of emotion so it's completely rational that your outburst of emotion has embarrassed you."

"How are you so rational right now? What has happened to dramatic Rachel?" Quinn asked, turning to face Rachel with tears streaking her face.

"She found someone that balances her out." The words came out softly, but in the silence of the room they were loud and clear. In that moment Quinn knew that Rachel loved her too and it didn't matter if she said it or not. Quinn walked back over to the bed and laid down next to Rachel, pulling the smaller girl into her arms and stroked her hair until they both drifted off to sleep.

Quinn woke the next morning with a stiff neck and a still naked Rachel wrapped tightly in her arms. She held the girl, her cheeks getting warm from remembering the night's events. Quinn had never been like this with anybody else. Before she had always been the one in control. But Rachel was bringing out this whole new side of Quinn and she didn't know how to handle it. She didn't doubt that she really did love Rachel, she probably always had deep down, but she had never planned on professing that so early. She still had a day and a half to get through before returning to Yale and Quinn knew Rachel well enough to know that the brunette was going to make them talk about it before she left.

Extracting herself from the sleeping girl, Quinn picked up her toiletries and headed into the bathroom. The hot shower felt good on her stiff body and Quinn didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face. The shower had always been her emotional escape – it was the only safe place in the Fabray house where you could cry without it being noticed.

Eventually she forced herself out of the sanctuary of the shower and back into Rachel's room. She got dressed quietly, but heard Rachel stir on the bed.

"Morning," Rachel mumbled, stretching her limbs. She looked like perfection with her naked covered only partially by the sheet tangled around her.

"Good morning," said Quinn, trying to not stare at the brunette.

"It is odd to see you up before me. Come back and cuddle." Quinn couldn't refuse the offer and climbed back onto the bed. Rachel snuggled back into her and Quinn held her tentatively. "Quinn, you know I'm going to make you talk about this right?" asked Rachel, even though it was much more of a statement.

"You wouldn't be Rachel Berry if you didn't," said Quinn, trying to laugh at her own joke but failing. Rachel propped herself up on an elbow so she could look at Quinn's face.

"Okay, well I'll go first. Please don't try to tell me you were drunk and didn't mean it. I know that you did and I'm not upset. You just surprised me. I do really like you, Quinn. It all is just moving so fast."

"You're right. I did mean it even if it was too early to tell you."

"You've made it pretty clear that you want to be with me."

"You can't deny that we have something real here, Rachel."

"I wasn't trying to deny it. I'm just scared, Quinnie."

"What is there to be scared of? I love you, Rachel."

"We're going to school in two different states for one. If we're lucky we'll get to see each other every couple of weekends at the most. But more than anything, I'm terrified to lose you as my best friend. If something happens and we don't work out, I don't want to lose you as my friend."

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"You can't promise that, Quinn.

"You're right, I can't. But I do care so much about you and I know my life would never be full if you weren't a part of it. I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you really think we can do this?"

"I really do, Rachel."

"You mean so much to me, Quinn. Just don't break my heart." Quinn responded by pulling the diva into her, kissing her slowly. She couldn't remember a time when she had felt this incredibly happy.

It was a beautiful day and the girls spent the day roaming the city, Quinn with her camera in hand. As much as she loved Yale's campus, it was exciting to have new places to take pictures of and she took advantage, making Rachel stopped constantly so she could snap a few dozen shots. Rachel was being a good sport and even let Quinn take some of her as they strolled through Central Park by the zoo. By dinnertime their feet were killing them and Rachel agreed to take the subway back down to her apartment. They stopped and grabbed takeout on their way back from the subway station and groaned as they climbed the three flights of steps.

Kurt was sitting at the table with his laptop, apparently doing schoolwork. He said hello to the girls and they settled onto the couch with their food, Quinn grabbing the remote and flipping aimlessly through the stations

"Did you want to go to the karaoke bar tonight with my friends? We can stay here and watch movies instead if you want," Rachel said, lifting another bite to her mouth.

"The karaoke bar sounds fun, Rach. You know I'll take any excuse to watch you get on a stage and sing." Rachel beamed at the blonde and Quinn leaned in to kiss her, but Rachel turned away, letting Quinn only brush her cheek. "What was that about?"

"You're eating meat, Quinn. You know I'm a vegan."

"I wasn't thinking. Sorry, Rach." Quinn turned back to her food instead. As soon as they finished, Quinn scurried off to brush her teeth, leaving Rachel picking at her food on the couch.

"So what's the scoop with you two?" asked Kurt curiously, turning around to face Rachel.

"We're dating exclusively." Kurt squealed and ran over to hug Rachel.

"I'm so happy for you girls! This is going to be amazing. When Blaine comes to visit we totally need to double date!" Rachel got absorbed in his enthusiasm and the two chatted excitedly about all the fun things they could do in New York for their date. Quinn stood in Rachel's doorway, watching them and soaking in the happiness that surrounded her.

A few short hours later Quinn found herself sitting in a dimly lit bar at karaoke night. The crowd was made up of primarily college-aged people and it was fun atmosphere. There had been a steady flow of people up to the microphone since they had arrived. Some had been Rachel's NYADA classmates and they were talented, but Quinn realized that Rachel was still a step above most of them.

"Rach, when are you going to sing?" Quinn asked, amazed that Rachel hadn't been hogging the stage all night.

"When I can come up with an appropriate song," Rachel said simply, sipping on her drink.

"Half the room is drunk and you make any song sound amazing. C'mon I want to hear you sing," Quinn pleaded. She could tell that Rachel was thinking hard about what song to sing.

"Fine. But later you are singing a duet with me." Rachel stalked up to the stage and was quickly handed a microphone. After the boy on stage finished his song, she took the stage and Quinn felt herself go breathless at the sight. It was a natural setting for Rachel Berry and she looked completely at home on the foreign stage under the bright lights. The music began to play and Rachel's eyes met Quinn's as she began to sing.

_I don't like to be alone in the night_

_And I don't like to hear I'm wrong when I'm right_

_And I don't like to have the rain on my shoes_

_But I do love you_

_But I do love you_

Rachel had the full attention of the people in the bar as her voice carried throughout the room. Quinn was used to Rachel putting their small glee club into awe almost every day, but it was amazing to see a whole room fall under the spell of Rachel Berry. Especially when Rachel Berry was singing directly to her.

_I don't like to see the sky painted gray_

_And I don't like when nothing's going my way_

_And I don't like to be the one with the blues_

_But I do love you_

_But I do love you_

Kurt nudged Quinn and pointed towards a table near the stage where there was a boy that looked like he was undressing Rachel with his eyes. Quinn felt jealousy flare up inside her.

"His name is Jordan. He's a year ahead of us at NYADA but he seems to have a major crush on your girl." Quinn scowled, but focused her attention on the beaming diva that was still singing to her.

_And I don't like to turn the radio on_

_Just to find I missed my favorite song_

_And I don't like to be the last with the news_

_But I do love you_

_But I do love you_

_I love everything about the way you're loving me_

_The way you lay your head upon my shoulder when you sleep_

_And I love to kiss you in the rain_

_I love everything you do_

_Oh I do.._

Quinn let herself fall back under Rachel's spell as she belted out the last verse.

_And I don't like to be alone in the night_

_And I don't like to hear I'm wrong when I'm right_

_And I don't like to have the rain on my shoes_

_But I do love you_

_But I do love you_

_But I do love you…._

Rachel held her note as the instrumental finished up and was met with a hearty round of applause. She took a small bow and skipped down off the stage, right past Jordan who seemed dismayed and into Quinn's arms, planting a big kiss on her lips.

Quinn never doubted Rachel's song selections. She always managed to convey meaning through song in a way nobody else seemed to be able to do. So Quinn was elated, knowing that Rachel meant the words she had sung to her, proving to Quinn that she really wanted to give this relationship a chance.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Quinn vaguely remembered singing her promised duet with Rachel and even getting up on stage with Kurt and a couple of his friends for a fun rendition of California Gurls. It had been a fun night and Quinn was sad to see it come to an end knowing that tomorrow meant that she had to return to New Haven.

The girls laid in bed that night, Rachel cuddled up in Quinn's arms.

"You know I meant what I sang to you, right?" Rachel asked softly, draping her arm over Quinn's stomach.

"Of course I know. You're Rachel Berry. You show your emotions through song. I wouldn't have expected anything less romantic." Quinn said, wrapping her arms tightly around the small brunette. "I love you, too, Rachel Berry."

Morning came way too quickly for Quinn's liking. She stirred, realizing that Rachel was still snuggled tight against her. She kissed the girl softly, working her way down onto Rachel's neck.

"Mmm. What a fantastic way to wake up," mumbled Rachel sleepily. Quinn giggled and got more aggressive with her kisses, finding Rachel's pulse spot and massaging it with her tongue. "I never thought Quinn Fabray was such a horn dog."

"Only for you, baby," Quinn responded, rolling on top of the smaller girl. Rachel sighed at the feeling of Quinn's palms rubbing against her hardening nipples and Quinn leaned down and kiss her sweetly on the mouth. Rachel returned the kiss, her hand tangled in the messy blonde hair as their tongues met.

Quinn pushed her thigh in between Rachel's legs, earning her a soft moan from the brunette as she pushed her hips into Quinn. She rocked slowly, putting pressure against Rachel's core as the diva kissed her roughly. Quinn's need got the best of her and she tugged at Rachel's shirt frantically until the smaller girl relented and slipped it over her head. Quinn ripped her own shirt off and let her hands wander to the bare chest that beneath her, cupping Rachel's breasts firmly and letting her fingers glide over the stiff nipples. Rachel moaned again and Quinn rocked her thigh harder making Rachel writhe in pleasure.

"I love you, Rachel," she breathed as her shifted her weight off of the diva, causing Rachel to groan with frustration. Quinn tugged at Rachel's shorts, pulling both the shorts and her panties off simultaneously to give her full access to Rachel's wetness. She let her fingers graze the inside of Rachel's thighs and along her outer lips, while Rachel's hands found her breasts and massaged them.

"God, I want you," said Rachel, her voice dripping with lust. Quinn melted under Rachel's words and she let her fingers slide into Rachel's wetness, causing the brunette to moan loudly and claw her fingernails into Quinn's side. Quinn stroked lightly at first, but Rachel's hips were pushing into her, begging her for more. She couldn't resist the diva's obvious want and she thrust her finger inside, curling it slightly and making Rachel's hips buck more violently. Quinn smiled at the sight of her girlfriend squirming on the bed under her touch and let her thumb find the diva's bundle of nerves as she added another finger inside her.

"I want to feel you cum," Quinn said huskily, increasing her speed and leaning her body into Rachel's. The brunette rewarded her with louder moans and ragged breathing.

"Oh…God..Quinn, don't stop…Please…Fuck.." Quinn leaned down and ran her tongue along Rachel's neck, her hand working furiously between the smaller girl's legs. She was rewarded with a tightening around her fingers as Rachel began bucking wildly and yelling Quinn's name in ecstasy. Quinn rode out the orgasm before tenderly removing her hand and sliding off of the brunette.

"You're so hot when you cum, baby," Quinn whispered into Rachel's ear. The brunette was catching her breath, but her hands were running along Quinn's naked top half, her nails teasing the flesh.

"My turn!" said Rachel out of the blue and she wrapped her arms around Quinn and began kissing her passionately again. Quinn was already so turned on that Rachel's hand stroking her through her shorts was nearly enough to make her come undone.

"Rach, I'm so close already," Quinn said, pushing herself into Rachel's hand violently, wanting more contact. Rachel quickly obliged sliding her hand into Quinn's shorts and letting her fingers feel Quinn's wetness. The blonde moaned in desperation and pleasure as Rachel let her fingers rub quick circles on Quinn's clit. "Fuck, Rach, that feels so fucking good." It was all Quinn got out before her body exploded in orgasm.

Rachel collapsed back next her, tenderly kissing her cheek.

"It's embarrassing how turned on you make me," said Quinn softly, nuzzling into the brunette.

"I think it's incredibly sexy."

"I don't want to go back to New Haven."

"You know it's for the best. You love school and I know it is difficult for us to be separated so early into a passionate relationship, but it is a good thing that we're both doing what makes us happy and we'll still have one another."

"I know all of that. But that doesn't mean I want to sleep without you for the next two weeks," pouted Quinn. The brunette looked up into the hazel eyes and kissed her gently.

"You'll be so busy with school, the time will fly until I'm in your arms again."

"I sure hope you're right, Rachel Berry."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: The song from the last chapter was But I Do Love You by Leann Rimes**

**Chapter 21**

Quinn sat with her head pressed against the cold window of the bus as it pulled into traffic. She had managed to keep it together when she said goodbye to Rachel in the bus terminal. Quinn had never struggled with keeping her emotions in check. She was a pro at being the ice queen. But Rachel was melting her fast. The tears had stung her eyes as they hugged goodbye and it had taken all of her energy to choke them back as she boarded the bus. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and Quinn fished it out.

**R: Is it pathetic that I miss you already?**

Quinn couldn't help but smile widely. Ever since their talk on Saturday morning, Rachel seemed to have really thrown herself completely into the relationship. Quinn felt a little guilty that she had doubted the brunette's feelings in the two weeks they had been separate, but this weekend had mended everything. They were together. It was all Quinn needed.

**Q: I hope not because that makes me pathetic too and Quinn Fabray doesn't like to seem pathetic.**

**R: Well, I miss you and I really need to write my manuscript but I wish you were here to cuddle instead.**

**Q: Me too, babe. Get your work done. I'll call you when I get back to my dorm.**

**R: Fine. **

Quinn chuckled, imagining Rachel with her diva pout stomping around her bedroom because Quinn was making her do her work instead of letting her procrastinate.

The bus ride seemed to drag on forever, but Quinn was finally dropped off at Yale. She lugged her bags back to her dorm and was surprised to see Jess sprawled on her bed while Hayley sat on her bed watching TV.

"I made Hayls hang out with me until you got back," said Jess, answering Quinn's look of surprise. "Plus we both totally want the details of what went down with you this weekend." Quinn dropped her bags on the floor and sighed, sitting down on the bed at Jess' feet.

"I seriously can't even take a shower or anything before reliving my entire weekend?"

"Nope, so let's hear it." Quinn stuck her tongue out at Jess before beginning to rehash all of the details. Both Hayley and Jess were listening intently. "So you've conned her into being exclusive with you?"

"You're a bitch," Quinn said, slapping the girl on the leg.

"And you're nauseatingly in love," Jess retorted with a playful grin. She really was a lot like Santana.

"I'm happy for you, Quinn," added Hayley.

"Thanks, Hayls."

"Now you need to hear the story of how Jess called her Friday night hookup the wrong name on Saturday morning…" Jess shot a glare at the curly haired girl. Quinn laughed heartily as Hayley rehashed the story and Jess got increasingly annoyed and embarrassed. When she finished, Quinn burst into giggles and Jess flipped her off before leaving the room.

Quinn booted up her laptop and imported the pictures she had taken in New York. Most of them were of buildings and busy streets, but every once in a while Rachel's face would appear on the screen. Quinn knew that Rachel always made a point of aligning herself for posed pictures to show off her best angle, but most of the pictures Quinn had taken of her were candid. It was like seeing Rachel from a whole new perspective. She wasn't stiff and her mega watt Broadway smile was absent.

Quinn's favorite picture from the set was one that had been taken right in front of Rachel's apartment. Rachel had been walking in front of her yelling at Quinn to hurry up. Quinn had called her name and Rachel had turned on the spot. The picture captured the Rachel Berry that Quinn loved the most. Her hair was falling over her shoulders and she had a hand planted impatiently on her hip, but the corners of her lips were curling up into a smile. It had captured every day Rachel.

Quinn's phone started ringing and she reached over to answer it.

"You seriously broke your agreement and went to New York to see the hobbit for the weekend?"

"Hello to you too, Santana," answered Quinn impatiently.

"Seriously, Q, all she asked for was a month and you make it two weeks before you bombard her. Berry is the needy, obnoxious one. Not you."

"I missed her," Quinn said in explanation.

"That's not a reason for going to New York and forcing Rachel to define your relationship."

"I didn't go to New York to do that," answered Quinn defensively.

"But it's what you did. You rushed her, Quinn. And she's too damn scared to lose you so she'd rather give into your ridiculous insecurities by agreeing to rush into this relationship."

"How do you know all of this?" asked Quinn, genuinely surprised.

"She called Britts after you left this morning. She didn't flat out say most of this, but we all know that B gets emotions better than all of us." This stunned Quinn into silence for a couple of minutes.

"I'm so stupid, San. I even told her that I love her. Granted, that just slipped out, but it still happened."

"Jesus, Q. Berry was finally comfortable having you as a best friend and she's trying to deal with all this new shit you've piled on. And all of it is to make Quinn Fabray happy."

"Do you think she doesn't love me back?"

"That's your concern in this? Stop being stupid, Fabray. Of course Berry loves you. But you need to stop worrying about yourself for once and think about how this all affects her."

"You're right, S."

"Of course I am. Just because I'm on the west coast doesn't mean I won't put you in your place when you need it."

"Thanks, San. Tell Britt hi for me."

"I will. Love you, you stupid bitch."

"Love you too."

Quinn got off the phone and let the conversation sink in. She had been so wrapped up in how it had been making her feel over the past couple of weeks that she hadn't hesitated to think about Rachel. Quinn knew Santana was right. Rachel had taken a long time to become Quinn's friends due to their rocky past, but she still seemed to think that one day Quinn was going to decide she didn't need her anymore and leave.

She changed into her pajamas and climbed under the comforters, a spare pillow clutched tightly against her. Quinn knew she was going to have to talk to Rachel about it all tomorrow. Rachel meant the world to her and Quinn would do anything to ease Rachel's fears, even if it meant taking a step backwards.

By seven the next night Quinn was sitting at her desk, tapping her pen nervously. She still had an hour until her video chat with Rachel but she couldn't focus on her reading. Hayley had left for her study group and Quinn had the room to herself for the talk she knew she had to have with Rachel.

As the clock hit half past seven, Quinn had given up trying to do school work and was instead lying on her back, tossing a stress ball in the air above her head. When she heard the call coming through, she leaped frantically and dashed to her desk to answer. In a couple of seconds, Rachel's face appeared on her screen.

"Hey, Quinnie!" Rachel said enthusiastically, looking right into Quinn's eyes.

"Hey, Rach," Quinn responded, unable to hold her smile in at the sight of the brunette.

"What's going on? You looked worried about something." Quinn took a deep breath. She didn't expect to have to jump right into this conversation.

"I've been unfair to you."

"What do you mean, Quinn?"

"We agreed to not see each other or discuss our relationship until you came to New Haven. But I broke that without thinking about you. I was freaked out about the fact that I didn't want anybody but you after my first weekend here and I wanted to be exclusive so I would never have to feel like that again. That it would just be you and me because I really do love you, Rach. But I didn't think about whether it was what you wanted right now or not. I know you told me you're scared. I should have respected that and not forced you to define what's going on between us so soon. It was insensitive of me to not think about your feelings in all of this." Quinn's cheeks were bright red and she desperately wanted to break the eye contact through the screen, but held on for Rachel.

"Do you understand why I'm scared, Quinn? A year ago we weren't even friends. It took me a long time to trust you enough to build our friendship and even so I always couldn't believe that Quinn Fabray really wanted to be my friend. And now it's like it is all happening again. I can't help but think about how I used to be man-hands and now you want my hands on your skin and you're calling me beautiful. I've learned to trust you a lot, Quinn. But trusting anyone with my heart is scary, never mind the girl that I never thought I'd even trust as a friend."

"I know, Rachel. That's why I feel so bad that I made you rush into this. It's not fair for you to put your feelings aside just so you can make me feel better. I'm sorry I didn't think about you sooner."

"I do love you, Quinn. But you need to be patient with me. I've always been a strong person and could deflect the insults and slushie facials. But I need some time before I can just give away my heart. You need to earn that."

"I understand. And I completely respect that. Your happiness means the world to me."

"Enough serious stuff. How were your classes today?" Rachel asked, completely changing the subject.

"I think they were okay. I was kind of in a daze because I was too busy worrying about how to talk to you tonight." Quinn's cheeks flushed again at this admittance.

"You need to focus on your studies, Quinn. It is imperative that you do well at Yale."

"Thanks, Mom. You know I'll be fine. I got straight A's after getting thrown out of my house while dealing with my teenage pregnancy. Tell me about your classes instead."

Quinn let herself get caught up in Rachel, feeling a million times better. They chatted for over an hour, only grudgingly ending the call when Kurt started yelling about needing Rachel's help practicing his lines for their acting class. The girls said goodbye and Quinn ended the call.

**Q – I talked to Rachel. We talked about feelings and all that stuff.**

**S – Glad to hear that you got your head out of your ass.**

**Q – Fuck you, S.**

**S – Only in your dreams, Fabray.**

Friday came and Quinn found herself sitting in the photography lab thumbing through her portfolio. The photos she had taken in New York were scattered all around the table in front of her as she tried to pick the best four to use for her project. Her eyes kept falling on the picture of Rachel. It was easily her favorite of the set, but she didn't know if it was because of her feelings for Rachel or because it was a good shot. If she submitted it for her project, her professor would be allowed to critique her girlfriend acting as a model for her shot. Would an outsider be able to see Rachel's diva attitude that shone through so clearly to Quinn? Would they be able to see the playful curve of her lips and she looked at the blonde girl? She moved the photo to the small pile of possible shots and cleaned up her work area so she could go meet Jess.

Quinn ran into Jess outside of the building and they walked together to the dining hall, Jess rambling about all the different social activities for the evening. When they settled at a table with their food, Quinn opened up her portfolio to show the pictures to Jess.

"Quinn, these are awesome. You really should think about pursuing photography."

"It's just a class that I'm taking for fun," Quinn said, trying to convince herself that photography was just another part of her schedule.

"It's a waste of talent if you don't use it. You've got an eye for this shit." Jess continued to flip through the photos, pausing at the one of Rachel. "So this is the real Rachel."

"What do you mean by that?" Quinn asked tentatively.

"She's glaring at you all stubbornly but it's so obvious that she's completely in love with you and is just being difficult."

"You got all of that from a picture?"

"No, I got it from what you documented for me to see. You captured a moment, even her personality. That's a gift, Q, and you're stupid if you don't think about taking more classes in photography." Quinn wasn't used to hearing Jess be so serious about something and she considered the brunette.

"Maybe I will. As a hobby of course. I can't really justify to my mom why I'm attending an Ivy League school to take pictures."

"It's a start I suppose," said Jess, shoving a forkful of rice into her mouth and launched back into their plans for the evening.

Quinn was very close to breaking out her HBIC glare at Jess. Jess had arrived at Quinn's door in a slinky red dress and heels and was not approving of Quinn's jeans and cardigan, insisting that it was fine if she was going to class, but this was a party on a Friday night and that her outfit just did not cut it. Quinn missed Lima. Most parties were at Puck's house and Quinn could have showed up in her pajamas and still have been the hottest person in the room. All her life her beauty had turned heads and Quinn hated the attention that came from her looks alone. Jess was gorgeous as well and Quinn was glad to be understated while the tall girl strutted in and made a statement. But Jess wouldn't allow it and wanted Quinn to be a partner in crime, rather than her shadow. Biting her tongue, Quinn agreed to put on dark jeans and a silk top instead. Jess accepted the compromise and dragged the blonde out the door.

Jess seemed to have already earned a reputation on campus because within fifteen minutes of arriving at the party, she was being hit on by all types of girls. Quinn chuckled as Jess basically ignored them, scanning the room for the sexiest girl before stalking out her prey for the evening. Realizing that Jess most definitely did not need a wingman tonight, Quinn wandered through to find the beer and spotted Derek standing with a group of guys she didn't know.

"Hey, Derek," she said, approaching them with a sweet smile.

"Hey, Quinn! Here, let me introduce you to the guys." Quinn felt the other boys' checking her out as she smiled and shook each of their hands. Head cheerleader Quinn would have become an icy bitch, but Quinn found she didn't mind the harmless interaction as much anymore. "I'm going to grab us a couple of beers, are you okay here?" he asked Quinn and she nodded. He took off into the crowd to retrieve their drinks.

Two of the boys were friendly and engaged Quinn with their eyes mostly focused on her face rather than her body. The third boy irritated Quinn. He was hardly contributing to the conversation, but Quinn felt like he was undressing her with his eyes. She'd been around boys like him before, particularly Puck, but it was different when it was a boy that you'd known most of your life. This kid didn't know Quinn and it was obvious that he wanted to know her a lot better.

"You have a problem looking a girl in the face?" she said coldly to him. He glanced up with a smirk on his face.

"No, but I like to look at all of them too," he answer smugly.

"Yeah, well you better learn where my eyes are because I'm really not beneath kicking you in the balls if you can't control yourself." He seemed a little taken aback, but recovered quickly. Before she could react, he threw an arm around her shoulder. "You're a feisty one, aren't you?" he whispered into her ear. Just as Quinn was about to shove him away, Derek reappeared.

"What the hell, man?" he said angrily to his buddy.

"Sorry, D, didn't mean to sneak up on your girl."

"She's not my girl but you're going to get your hands off of her before I kick your ass," growled Derek. His friend glared back at him for a minute before releasing Quinn. Derek pulled her behind him. "Seriously, Jake, do you get off on being a complete dick to girls?"

"No need to be so pissy just because you can't get her into bed," retorted Jake coolly.

"Trust me, you couldn't get me into bed with you if your life depended on it." Quinn said from behind Derek. "First of all, I have no interest in jerks. Second of all, I have no interest in people with absolutely no game. And third of all, I'm gay, but you're too self-absorbed to realize that you would never have a chance in hell with a girl like me even if I was into guys." Head bitch Quinn had returned in full force. The other two boys laughed hysterically as Jake's face turned red with anger. His hands were balled into fists and he stalked away without a comeback.

"Damn, Quinn, that was awesome. Jake is a cocky asshole," said Derek, patting her lightly on the back.

"How can you hang around with that scum?" asked Quinn, her face still full of disgust.

"He's my lacrosse captain, I don't really have a choice but to put up with his shit most of the time." Quinn could kind of understand that. Granted, she had always been the captain, but she knew that her teammates put up with her bitchy antics only because she had the power to make their lives hell. After seeing Jake in action, Quinn felt crappy about the way she had been for all of those years. She had never been a sleaze, but she had thrown her control of McKinley around constantly. Derek had obviously seen the change in Quinn and asked if she wanted to get out of there. She nodded her head and sent Jess a quick text to tell her she was leaving.

Derek walked beside her with his hands in his pockets, not wanting to force her talk if she didn't want to.

"I'm sorry that I insulted your friend. He rubbed me the wrong way."

"It's totally cool. He way overstepped your boundaries and he's lucky all you did was cut him with your words." Derek was sincere. He felt bad that Quinn had been subjected to Jake's asshole ways.

"You got to see the old Quinn tonight. I haven't been that big of a bitch in a long time."

"Oh yeah, why were you a bitch in the first place?"

"It kind of came with my life. I was born into a well-off, good Christian home. I was beautiful and popular and head cheerleader. It was kind of my job to be a bitch and keep the high school hierarchy in line."

"Well I never thought of you as that kind of person. Even tonight because all you did was tell Jake the truth about what a dick he is."

"Yeah, it kind of faded when I fell from my perfect life pedestal. I got pregnant when I was a sophomore and my parents kicked me out. All of that caused me to get booted from the cheerleading squad. Things went downhill for a while. After I had my daughter, I regained some of my popularity, but the bitch part never completely returned."

"That's a lot to digest. You had a baby in high school, you were a gigantic icy bitch, and now you're an absolutely gay sweetheart?"

"I guess that sums it up. Pretty fucked up, huh?" Derek chuckled.

"You definitely have many layers, Quinn. But you're not fucked up." He guided them to a bench and she sat down next to him, glad to have a friend that she could really talk to.

"I probably seem like the biggest drama queen ever now," she said sheepishly, leaning her head against his broad shoulder.

"Tell me all about it, Quinn Fabray. I want to know all about your drama queen days and how you ended up being the nicest person I've met at Yale."

They sat on the bench, talking late into the night. Derek was an excellent listener and let her tell him all about her life before Yale. When he started yawned loudly, Quinn looked at her watch.

"We've been sitting here for three hours. Who knew my life was that interesting?" she said, making Derek laugh. "Next time, I want to hear all about you," she added sincerely. He walked her back to her dorm and stooped to kiss her on the cheek.

"I'm glad I met you, Quinn. And I'm glad you gave me a chance to be your friend after you accused me of hitting on you at that party." She swatted his shoulder playfully. "Goodnight."

"Night, Derek. Thanks for listening."

"Anytime." He waved and headed away to his own dorm.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"Where the hell did you disappear to last night?" Quinn groaned and rubbed her eyes to see Jess standing above her.

"What time is it?" asked Quinn sleepily, putting off Jess' need for information.

"Almost 8. Now spill. Rumor has it you embarrassed the fuck out of the men's lacrosse captain and then disappeared with some sophomore lacrosse guy."

"If you know what happened, why the hell did you have to wake me up?" groaned Quinn, annoyed.

"You left with a dude, Q. I'm concerned for your relationship and your sanity." Quinn couldn't help but laugh. Jess was glaring at her protectively with her hands on her hips.

"Derek is just a friend. He's in my English Lit class and he knows I'm gay. We just left the drama to talk."

"You're telling me that one of the cutest boys at the party left with a girl when he knew there was no chance of getting in her pants?"

"Imagine that, a decent male human being. Can I go back to sleep now?" Quinn pulled the comforter back up to her chin and rolled over. Much to her surprise, Jess pulled the blanket up and crawled into the tiny twin bed next to her. "Seriously, Jess?"

"What? I'm bored and tired and my bed is far away." Quinn knew that Jess took this as a perfectly good excuse to climb into bed with her friend. She sighed and slid towards the wall to make room for the brunette.

Quinn woke up two hours later with Jess snoring next to her. She tried to untangle herself from the brunette, but the small bed wasn't letting her escape easily. Jess grumbled from the movement and opened her eyes.

"You're seriously the worst cuddle buddy ever, Fabray." Jess wrapped her arms tightly around Quinn, not letting her climb out of the bed. Quinn struggled against her, but Jess had pinned her arms tightly. Finally Quinn succumbed to the brunette and let her hold her in the bed. Jess' face was only inches from her own, both of them panting from the mild exertion. Quinn could see fire in Jess' eyes. She felt her throat go dry.

"C'mon Jess, I'm starving," Quinn said lamely, looking away from the brown eyes. Jess hesitated before letting go of Quinn's arms and pulling herself out of the bed. Quinn watched the tall girl walk out of her room with a knot in her stomach.

The hot water cascaded over Quinn's body as she stood motionless in the shower. She knew Jess found her attractive, but she figured Jess was so wrapped up in her parade of one night stands to think about Quinn as anything more than a friend. She was Quinn's Yale version of Santana and Santana was just her crude lesbian best friend. She couldn't have feelings for Quinn. She just couldn't.

After dressing, Quinn called Hayley to meet up for breakfast with them so she wouldn't have to be alone with Jess right now. She agreed to Quinn's relief and she left to meet her friends.

Jess seemed to be back to her normal self in front of their friends. She dominated the conversation by bragging about her conquest from last night. Apparently she found her way into a straight girl's bed and managed to get the girl to see the light. Yet throughout her story, her eyes kept flitting to Quinn, judging her reactions to the story. Quinn put on her impassive face, the one that she had worn most of high school. As soon as they finished eating, Quinn excused herself from the table and headed out of the dining hall.

"Q, wait up!" Quinn sighed, hearing Jess' pounding footsteps behind her. She slowed her pace knowing Jess wouldn't give up. "What's going on with you?"

"I don't know, Jess. Maybe it has something to do with you climbing into my bed and then wrestling me and looking at me like a piece of meat?" Quinn could feel the ice in her voice. She had finally gotten to a good place with Rachel and she wasn't going to let Jess ruin that.

"Geez, Quinn. I was just playing with you. I thought we were friends." Jess' cheeks were flushed and it was the first time Quinn had ever seen her look vulnerable.

"We are friends. But friends don't look at each other the way you looked at me this morning. Look me in the face and tell me you didn't want to kiss me this morning."

"This is ridiculous. I thought you were cool and fun. Apparently you're just an insecure killjoy."

"So you're not denying it. You know I like having you as a friend, but I'm in love with Rachel. If you can't deal with that, then we can't be friends because I am not jeopardizing what I have with her." Quinn's words were final and Jess knew it. Jess felt stupid for thinking that her move this morning might have convinced Quinn that she was wasting her time trying to make this long distance relationship with a girl from home work. She looked at the ground, avoiding Quinn's icy glare.

"I shouldn't have gotten into bed with you this morning. That wasn't cool of me." Jess didn't want to lose Quinn as a friend, even if she did want more from the gorgeous blonde.

"Damn right it wasn't cool," Quinn retorted, but some of the coolness had left her voice. "Look, you have your choice of single girls all over this campus. I'll play your wingman, but that's all you'll ever get from me." She knew she had gotten her point across. They walked back to the dorm side by side in silence.

Rachel was standing in her room wearing a tight black dress and red stilettos. She felt sexy and self conscious all at once in the outfit Kurt had forced her into. They had been invited to a friend's birthday celebration at a club and Kurt had vetoed her entire wardrobe before dragging her shopping. After four hours of refusing his choices, she finally settled knowing that he was not going to give up until she had an appropriate outfit.

"Damn, girl!" Kurt stood in the doorway of her room, eying his handiwork with evident approval. Rachel turned to face him. He was decked out in typical Kurt fashion. Rachel walked over to him and he took her hand, spinning her on the spot. "You can't deny that I have the magic touch."

"You are fantastic, Kurt. But this dress is far too low cut for my comfort."

"Nonsense, you look stunning, Rachel Berry. Now let's go get our groove on!" Rachel picked up her clutch and followed him as he skipped out the door.

The club was dark and loud. Rachel and Kurt made their way through the crowd, looking for their friends as the music pounded and people grinded on the dance floor. Kurt grabbed her hand as he led her through the throng, his hips already swaying with the music.

They found their friends at a table in the far corner laughing loudly with drinks in their hands. Rachel kissed people on the cheek, not being able to hear anything over the music. Kurt ordered drinks for them from the passing cocktail waitress and pulled one of the girls onto the dance floor with him.

Someone tapped on Rachel's shoulder. She turned to see a boy named Gabe from her acting class. He held his hand out and gestured to the dance floor. Glancing at Kurt spinning the girl around, she nodded and took his hand, following him into the crowd.

He was a good dancer, much better than Finn had been. It was nice to have somebody that shared her rhythm and Rachel found herself wrapped up in the music. His arms were around her waist, pulling her increasingly closer. She looked up into his face smiling. Gabe took that as his cue and leaned in, pressing his lips against hers and tightening his arms around her. Before she could pull away he pushed his tongue into her mouth and she tasted the vodka he had been drinking.

"What the fuck?" she shouted as she ripped his arms from her waist. He couldn't hear her over the music, but her anger was obvious. Gabe just smirked as she stomped her foot and stormed away.

Rachel pushed people out of the way until she got to Kurt. He was now dancing with an unfamiliar boy. She grabbed his arm and dragged him outside so they could talk.

"What the hell, Rachel? Seriously, what is your issue?" Kurt was obviously annoyed by the diva interrupting his night.

"I was dancing with Gabe and he shoved his tongue down my throat!" Rachel was obviously upset by the incident.

"Did you slap him?" Kurt asked.

"No, I just stormed away." Kurt sighed. They were at a school of divas so a diva storm didn't have the same effect.

"You obviously need to get out of here. I'll be right back and then we can grab coffee." He squeezed her arm affectionately and made his way back into the club.

Ten minutes later he emerged with her clutch in his hand. He linked his arm through hers and they walked down the street to a coffee shop. After ordering, they sank down at a table, clutching their paper cups.

"Why would he do something like that?" asked Rachel, appalled by the short-lived night's events.

"Well, you look crazy sexy in that dress. Secondly, you were dancing all up on him. And finally, you haven't exactly told our friends that you're in a lesbian relationship." There was no point sugarcoating it for Rachel in this situation.

"So you're saying that he's justified in molesting my mouth because I didn't stand up in class and announce that I have a girlfriend?" Rachel was in hardcore diva mode.

"No, I'm just saying that he read the signs that he had," Kurt responded patiently.

"Most of our friends met Quinn a week ago, it's not like I'm locked inside the closet!" Rachel said loudly, her temper getting the best of her.

"I know, Rach. But you never really said that you and Quinn were an item. This isn't the gossip mill of McKinley. Here in New York, especially at school, sexuality is pretty fluid. Just because you had a pretty girl giving you puppy dog eyes at a party doesn't mean everybody is going to assume you're a couple. If you want to keep people from making the wrong assumption, you need to be forthcoming," said Kurt. "Honestly, that shouldn't be hard for the Rachel Berry I know." She knew Kurt was right. Despite the fact that they were officially dating now, she hadn't really discussed her relationship with Quinn to any of her school friends.

"I'm sorry that I dragged you out of the club and ruined your night. Why were you dancing with that boy anyway? What about Blaine?" Rachel asked suddenly.

"I just wanted to enjoy myself a little. I would never cheat on Blaine, but I'd be lying if I said that we were having no trouble with this long distance thing," Kurt admitted.

"You guys are fighting?" Rachel inquired.

"I guess you could say that. It's not like we've been tearing each other's heads off or anything. But he doesn't like that I'm encouraging him to enjoy his last year of high school. All he talks about is moving to New York after graduation and I don't want him to miss out on everything until he gets here."

"Well, you and Blaine are meant for one another. You will work it out. It just takes some time to adjust." Rachel smiled reassuringly at him.

"How are things with you and Quinn?" asked Kurt, pulling the focus off of his own struggling relationship.

"They're good. We had an awesome weekend and she's actually starting to let her walls down and is talking about her feelings. The distance thing is really hard and we're both so busy right now that I hardly get to talk to her during the week. But I know she's worth it, Kurt. As much as it terrifies me to give my heart to Quinn Fabray, it's exhilarating at the same time. I'm just not looking forward to telling her one of my friends kissed me tonight. She still turns into the head bitch sometimes and she'll probably make Santana fly in from L.A. to kick his ass." Kurt laughed, knowing that Rachel wasn't exaggerating for once.

"Well Gabe better hide if Quinn and Santana show up in town, that's for sure." Rachel smiled warmly at him.

"I really needed this. You're a really great friend, Kurt," she said seriously.

"Stop getting all mushy. C'mon let's go home and watch one of our fantastic musical selections." They got up and headed to their apartment, both of them feeling much better.

Quinn woke early on Sunday morning. She got dressed quietly as Hayley was still sleeping and laced up her running sneakers, grabbing her iPod on her way out the door.

The air was starting to get chilly and the leaves had started to fade into yellow and orange. Autumn had always meant excruciatingly long Cheerios practices to Quinn. Even though they practiced all summer long, when school started Coach Sylvester had always stepped up her torture. It was nice to be able to run without being yelled at through the megaphone about her baby weight or stretch marks. Instead, Quinn cleared her mind and got into a rhythm as her feet pounded along the sidewalk.

By the time she had returned to her dorm, she was soaked in sweat. She grabbed her shower caddy and headed down the hall to the bathroom. Jess was standing at the sink, brushing her teeth. She caught Quinn's reflection in the mirror as she entered, but immediately averted her eyes from the sexy, sweat-covered blonde. All she needed was to give Quinn another excuse to tear her down over her feelings.

"Morning, Jess," Quinn said casually as she walked past and turned on the water. Jess spit the toothpaste into the sink before responding.

"Morning. Hey, you feel like heading in to New Haven with me today? I was going to do some shopping and exploring." Jess tried to keep desperation out of her voice, wanting to make things right between herself and her new friend.

"I would love to, but I already made plans with Derek to work on our assignment for Lit." Quinn called from inside her shower stall.

"It's cool, maybe another time," Jess said, hiding her disappointment.

"Yeah, definitely." Jess turned to leave the bathroom.

_You're the direction I follow to get home_

_When I feel like I can't go on you tell me to go_

_And it's like I can't feel a thing without you around_

_And don't mind me if I get weak in the knees_

'_Cause you have that effect on me, you do_

Jess found herself rooted to the spot. She knew that Quinn's girlfriend was supposedly destined to be a Broadway star and she had heard Quinn sing along to the stereo and knew she could carry a tune, but she didn't know that she could really sing. When Quinn thought nobody was listening, it was like a whole new person emerged.

_Everything you say, _

_Every time we kiss, I can't think straight_

_But I'm okay_

_And I can't think of anybody else_

_Who I hate to miss as much as I hate missing you_

Jess hadn't heard the song before, but it was obvious that Quinn was singing it for Rachel. Rachel, the diva that was in New York following her dream and could only fit Quinn in as long as Quinn was willing to mold into her plans. Yet despite the pain in her chest knowing that Quinn was head over heels for the girl that wasn't there to hear it, Jess stood in the bathroom as Quinn belted out the song from the shower.

_Months going strong now and no goodbye_

_Unconditional, unoriginal, always by my side_

_Meant to be together_

_Meant for no one but each other_

_You love me, I love you harder so_

_Everything you say_

_Every time we kiss, I can't think straight_

_But I'm okay_

_And I can't think of anybody else_

_Who I hate to miss as much as I hate missing you_

Jess could feel the emotion in Quinn's words and she knew she had no shot of ever changing Quinn's mind. Quinn was the first girl she had actually though about settling down for and she was the one girl Jess would never get to have.

_So please, give me your hands_

_So please, give me a lesson_

_On how to steal, steal a heart_

_As fast as you stole mine, as you stole mine_

_Oh, and everything you say_

_Every time we kiss I can't think straight_

_But I'm okay_

_And I can't think of anybody else_

_Who I hate to miss as much as I hate missing you_

_So please, give me your hands_

_So please, just take my hand…_

As the last note rung through the bathroom, Jess slipped through the door with tears in her eyes.

A/N: The song is 6 Months by Hey Monday.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Rachel laid on her bed on Sunday afternoon turning her phone around in her hand. She knew that she needed to call Quinn and talk about what had happened at the club last night with Gabe, but she didn't want to disappoint the blonde. It had meant nothing, but they were only a week into being serious and she had already messed up. She hit the speed dial and put the phone to her ear with her chest pounding.

"Hey, babe," Quinn answered enthusiastically after the second ring.

"Hey," Rachel responded. She figured it was best to just get it over with. "Quinn, we need to talk."

"Okay. What's up?" she said calmly.

"You have to promise me you won't be really mad at me. It was a mistake and I don't want to ruin us and I care about you so much…"

"Rachel, just tell me," said Quinn, interrupting Rachel's rambling.

"We went to this club last night with some friends from school and I was dancing with this guy Gabe from my acting class and I didn't think anything of it, but he grabbed me and kissed me. I left as soon as I can and Kurt took me home. I should have make it clear to all my friends that I'm in a relationship but I thought it was just a harmless dance." Rachel had tears streaming down her face as she made her confession. Quinn was dead silent on the other end. "Quinn, please say something."

"Did you kiss him back?" was all Quinn could muster.

"No, I pushed him away and ran to find Kurt. I haven't even spoken to him." Quinn knew she should be mad that her girlfriend had even ended up in the arms of someone else, but she was surprisingly calm. Rachel was obviously upset and had been completely upfront.

"Rachel, it's okay."

"That's it? It's okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay. I know you weren't trying to hurt me. I'm not happy about some guy having his hands all over you, but I know you weren't out cheating on me."

"I'm really sorry, Quinn. We finally work out the terms of our exclusive relationship and my first big night out afterwards and I mess things up." Rachel was still worked up.

"Rach, calm down. It's really not a big deal. Just make sure that this douche bag knows that you're taken so it doesn't happen again. Oh, and you might want to warn him to make himself scarce when I'm in town." Rachel giggled, her body relaxing. Quinn loved her and trusted her. They changed the subject and chatted animatedly for a while.

Finally Quinn needed to get off of the phone to meet up with Derek to work on an assignment and they hung up. Rachel sighed, content with how well they had gotten through their first road bump of their relationship.

Quinn packed up her bag to meet Derek and headed to the coffee shop. Derek was already sitting at a table by the window when she arrived so she got her coffee and joined him.

"Morning, Quinn," he said happily as she settled down.

"Good morning." It had already been a long one with her conversation of Rachel, but it was nice to see Derek. They got out their books and started in on their work. There was a comfortable silence between them as Quinn read through the assignment. Derek was leaning back in his chair with his book on his lap and his coffee in his hand looking at ease.

After a few hours, all of the caffeine set in and Quinn was jittery. She tossed her highlighter on the table and Derek looked up at her, immediately realizing that she was done working for the time being.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend, Derek?" Quinn asked the handsome boy sitting across from her.

"Well, you see I pursued this pretty blonde from my Lit class, but I found out she plays for a different team. So now I'm looking for someone that can compare to her in both looks and personality." He grinned widely at her, glad to have a friend that he could joke around with so easily.

"Well high school Quinn would have totally been into you. But college Quinn is totally going to play your wingman."

"Is that so?" Derek said, still grinning.

"I mean, what's better than having a good-looking girl by your side helping you get other good-looking girls? That's what we call winning," Quinn said. "Rachel is coming to visit this coming weekend, but after that I'm here to help."

"Do I get to meet the infamous Rachel?"

"Yeah, definitely. I need to get out of here and burn some of this energy. I'll see you in class tomorrow." Quinn threw her books back into her bag haphazardly and said goodbye before heading out of the shop.

Quinn wandered down to Jess' room when she got back to the dorm. She hadn't heard from the brunette since their conversation in the bathroom that morning. Jess yelled for her to enter and she opened the door to find Jess lounging on her bed watching some trashy reality television show.

"Oh hey, Q," said Jess, hardly glancing away from the TV.

"Hey." Quinn could feel that Jess was trying to keep her distance and it stung a little bit. She didn't think she had led Jess on in the slightest, but it was now blatantly obvious that Jess was into Quinn.

Trying to not stir the pot, Quinn sat down on the beanbag chair that was in the middle of the floor and tried to ignore the tension in the room. Jess was fidgeting on the bed, not sure how to handle the impromptu visit from the blonde.

"Quinn, can we just put the awkwardness behind us? I'm so not good at this." Jess tugged at a string on her comforter, avoiding Quinn's eyes.

"I'm willing to give it a try. You've become my best friend at Yale and I really don't want that to change, Jess. But I'm sorry if I led you on or anything."

"You know you didn't, Q. This is all just so uncharacteristic of me. I don't develop feelings for girls, especially ones I haven't even kissed." Jess laughed at herself, feeling pathetic.

"I mean, I know I'm irresistible, but seriously you have a million girls on this campus that would line up for their chance at just one night with you," said Quinn, trying to lighten the mood. It worked. Jess laughed a real laugh and finally met Quinn's eyes.

"Best buds?"

"Of course, Jess."

With Rachel's luck, the first class she had on Monday was with Gabe. She was already sitting with Kurt and another friend when he entered the classroom and caught her eye.

"Damn it, he's heading right over here!" whispered Rachel frantically to Kurt. She busied herself with getting her notebook out of her bag.

"Good morning guys, Rachel." He was standing right in front of her.

"What is it that you want, Gabe?" she asked, avoiding his glance.

"Just saying hello. Oh, and I brought you coffee to apologize for my actions the other night." He put a paper cup on the edge of her desk.

"Thank you for your apology, but I don't need your gifts. I have a girlfriend, Gabe."

"Oh. Well, take it as a peace offering this time at least." He walked away to take a seat across the room from her.

Rachel left the coffee untouched for the entire class. She felt bad for being so cold to Gabe when he was trying to apologize, but she just wasn't okay with him thinking that all of his inappropriate actions would be fixed by a cup of coffee, especially one that probably contained milk. As soon as class was over, she packed up her books and tossed the cup in the trash on her way out of the room. She could hear him call her name but she just walked out, not wanting to deal with the drama.

By the end of the day, Rachel was drained. It seemed that the exchange between Gabe had opened a whole line of gossip amongst her classmates and those who had been at the club quickly filled the others in on the ill-fated kiss that Gabe had planted on Rachel. She knew they were all whispering about it and it took all of her efforts to not lose it.

As soon as she got back to her apartment, Rachel collapsed onto her bed and typed out a message to Quinn.

**I had a horrible day. Everybody is gossiping about Gabe and I.**

She laid there for a long time, but no response came her way. Finally she dragged herself into the kitchen to make dinner. Usually Rachel got through these tasks by singing, but tonight she just wasn't in her typical high spirits.

"Rachel Berry is cooking but not singing? Gabe situation wearing on you today?" Kurt asked as he emerged from his bedroom. He walked into the small kitchen and started helping Rachel with dinner.

"It just feels so juvenile. Everybody was obviously gossiping about us today. It took a lot to just avoid stooping to their level and losing my temper over the situation. He's not worth my angst." Rachel's emotions always seemed to be organized so rationally.

"They'll find something better to talk about really soon when they realize you're serious about not wanting Gabe." He took the knife out of Rachel's hand that was trying to frantically cut up carrots. Rachel's phone buzzed in her pocket.

**I'm sorry that they're being immature, Rach. Knowing you, I bet that you were perfectly polite and avoided the drama. They'll move on soon enough.**

Rachel smiled. Kurt had basically told her the exact same thing a minute ago. Apparently Rachel's reactions were very predictable.

**He tried to bring me coffee this morning like that was going to solve everything.**

**Well boys are stupid like that. Everybody knows that the best way to win over Rachel Berry is to sing to her.**

Rachel actually laughed out loud at Quinn's response, causing Kurt to turn and raise an eyebrow at her. She read the message to him and he giggled as well, knowing that Quinn was one hundred percent correct on that statement.

**You're the best at cheering me up. I'm going to have dinner with Kurt though I'll call you before bed.**

**Alright, babe. I'll ttyl.**

Rachel's mood had lightened significantly just from the small interaction with Quinn. Quinn was always good at pulling Rachel out of her funks and Rachel was glad that she was still able to do that from eighty miles away rather than showing up in Rachel's bedroom to make her feel better.

After dinner, Rachel retreated to her room to work on a paper. There was a reason that she had graduated so high in her class: Rachel Berry did not let anything or anybody get in the way. Despite all of the drama of the day, she buckled down and worked until her eyes were burning with exhaustion. Glancing over at the clock, she saw that it was just about midnight. She got ready for bed quickly and grabbed her cell phone to call Quinn.

"Hello?" Rachel had obviously woken up her girlfriend.

"Quinn, I'm so sorry. Go back to bed; I'll call you tomorrow at a reasonable hour."

"Rach, if I didn't want to talk I wouldn't have answered the phone."

"I got wrapped up in my paper and didn't stop until I simply couldn't work anymore."

"Did you get the paper done at least?"

"Almost, but my eyes got too tired to work anymore. Plus, I realized what time it was and I wanted to talk to my girlfriend."

"Well I'm glad I get to hear your voice. I'm sorry you had a bad day, babe."

"It's so much better because I get to speak to you at least. Go back to sleep, Quinnie. I was just being selfish in wanting to hear your voice before I went to sleep myself."

"I love hearing your voice too, Rachel. Night, baby."

"Sleep tight, Quinn." Feeling instantly better, Rachel put the phone on her nightstand, rolled over, and immediately fell asleep.

The rest of the week continued to drag on. Kurt and Quinn were right – their classmates go over the gossip about her and Gabe quickly. But Gabe was still determined to make it right, so Rachel spent a lot of time dodging him as he tried to corner her around campus.

By Thursday, Rachel was looking forward to escaping the city for the weekend. She had already packed and booked her ticket on the train. As soon as class ended tomorrow, she would head for Grand Central Station.

Rachel was sitting in the coffee shop right off of campus after class on Thursday with Kurt, talking about their latest project for their acting class.

"Gabe just walked in the door and is making a beeline for you," Kurt urgently whispered when he saw the boy enter the shop over Rachel's shoulder. She audibly groaned and waited for him to appear at her side.

"Fancy seeing you here," said Gabe in greeting.

"Not really as it's the most popular coffee place for NYADA students." Rachel was sick of tiptoeing around him politely. He looked taken aback at the feisty brunette.

"Rachel, can we please talk? Alone?" He pleaded quietly to the girl while glancing at Kurt.

"Anything you want to say you can say in front of Kurt as well."

"Uh fine, I guess. Look I was a jerk at the club. I thought you were into me when you agreed to dance with me so I didn't realize I was stepping over any lines. I mean you were dancing all over me."

"That doesn't sound like a real apology, Gabe. That sounds like you think your actions were justified because you didn't know I was dating someone. Either way, you don't shove your tongue down someone's throat just because they are having fun dancing with you." He stood there with his mouth agape, trying to figure out how to respond. Rachel didn't know how she kept attracting guys that seemed a lot like Finn.

"Well I am sorry and I hope we can at least be friends," he said sheepishly before walking away.

"Rachel, I think some of Quinn's icy bitch has rubbed off on you," Kurt said with a laugh.

"It is a quite effective method when used only in necessary situations," she said seriously. She watched as Gabe got his coffee and left the shop looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

She left Kurt shortly after to head to the library. Rachel was determined to get her schoolwork done so that she could just enjoy her weekend with Quinn without worrying. It was well into the evening before Rachel finished and left the library. She dialed Quinn's number as she headed back to her apartment.

"Hey, Rach!" Quinn's voice was visibly excited.

"Hey, babe. I'm walking home for the library. You'll be happy to know that I got all of my assignments done so I am completely devoted to you for the weekend." Quinn laughed.

"You're too cute. I got some done today and I'll finish most of it before you get here tomorrow since I don't have class."

"My train gets in at 5 so you have plenty of time."

"Rachel, I know what time your train gets in. You e-mailed me the confirmation and you put it on your calendar and you called me to tell me all of the details."

"I just like to be thorough."

"I know you do, baby," said Quinn. "You wouldn't be the Rachel Berry I love if you weren't so thorough." Rachel smiled at the fact that Quinn now found her little quirks adorable rather than annoying.

"Do we have any plans while I'm there?" Rachel asked.

"Not really. My friends are excited to meet you, but other than that we can do as much or as little as you want. New Haven doesn't have all of the attractions like New York does."

"I'm coming to see you, not New Haven. I just got back and Kurt is standing with his hands on his hips glaring at me to get off of the phone. I'll text you when I get on the train tomorrow."

"Alright, Rach. I can't wait to see you. Bye."

"Bye, Quinnie." She hung up the phone.

"Blaine has decided that he's coming to visit tomorrow," Kurt said to her immediately.

"He's coming all the way from Ohio tomorrow after school?"

"No, he convinced his mom to let him take the day off and write it in as a college visit absence. He's leaving first thing in the morning to come here. Why am I so worried about an impromptu visit from my boyfriend?" Kurt was pacing in the living room.

"Because you love him and you would have rather had time to plan out the perfect weekend for his first visit to New York."

"But he wasn't supposed to come up until November!"

"Kurt, it's your boyfriend. You've been dating him for years and he loves you and I'm sure that glee isn't the same without all of us. He will enjoy himself if you do nothing but stay in the apartment watching movies because he's coming to see you, Kurt."

"I know you're right, but I wanted to give him the full New York experience. I need him to love it here so that he'll consider coming here for school."

"You'll make it even if he goes to college somewhere else. But you know in your heart that he won't be able to stay too far away from you. C'mon, I think you need to watch Funny Girl with me." She took his hand and dragged him to the couch. Funny Girl was already in the DVD player and she had it rolling in no time. They cuddled up together on the couch and watched Barbra.

It was late by the time they pulled themselves off of the couch. Rachel went into her room and pulled out her pink duffel bag. Usually she packed way in advance to make sure that she packed all of her essential belongings. Tonight, it just didn't seem important. All she cared about was getting to spend time with Quinn and knew that everything else would fall into place. She threw some clothes into the bag and went to bed excited for what the weekend would bring.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Rachel was nearly bouncing in her seat as the train pulled out of the station. In a few short hours she would be with Quinn in New Haven. It had only been two weeks since she had last seen the blonde, but everything felt different this time around. They were completely on the same page and Rachel was excited to see Quinn in her new environment.

The train ride felt long as Rachel sat impatiently in her seat, staring out the window with her iPod blaring in her ears. Quinn didn't have class on Fridays so she was trying to entertain Rachel by texting her, but that was just making Rachel even more impatient.

When they finally pulled into the stop, Rachel grabbed her bag and leaped up to get off before the crowd. She bounded down the steps and through the doors that led into the main area of the station. Her eyes frantically scanned the atrium, finally making contact with a head of straw colored hair that was facing away from her, chatting to a tall brunette girl. She walked briskly over to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder, making the blonde girl jump in fright.

Quinn spun to face her attacker and a huge grin cracked on her face when she realized it was Rachel. Rachel dropped her bags and Quinn pulled her into a bear hug, so glad to have the petite brunette back in her arms. Their lips found each other hungrily, having missed out for the last two weeks.

They must have been linked for a few long moments, because the tall brunette started clearing her throat loudly, obviously annoyed at being ignored.

"Oh right, sorry. Rachel, this is my friend Jess. Jess, meet Rachel." Her eyes were fixed on her friend. She was worried about Jess containing her crush around her girlfriend and figured it was best if they met as soon as possible. She had forced the tall girl to come with her to pick Rachel up from the train station so they could have some casual get to know one another time before Rachel met the rest of her friends.

"Wonderful to meet you," said Rachel enthusiastically, offering Jess the hand that wasn't entwined with Quinn's.

"You too," said Jess, shaking the small girl's hand firmly. She had seen Rachel on the webcam and in the pictures that Quinn had taped up above her desk, but Rachel seemed so different in person. She was definitely prettier in person. The pictures Quinn had did nothing to show off the slender body of the smaller brunette. Quinn had warned her that Rachel could be very high maintenance, but this girl standing in front of her seemed so relaxed without a serious care in the world.

Quinn bent to scoop up Rachel's duffel bag and led the way back to the car. Rachel chatted about her trip animatedly the whole time. Jess couldn't help but observe the interaction. Quinn was completely absorbed in Rachel's over the top rambling. It was definitely obvious that Rachel Berry was an acquired taste.

Once they were in the car, Rachel transitioned into quizzing Jess in an attempt to get to know the brunette better. She really wanted Quinn's friends to like her since she figured she would be spending a decent amount of time around them when she visited Yale and she knew that Jess was Quinn's closest friend at school. But she couldn't escape the sneaking suspicion that Jess had more than friendly feelings towards her girlfriend and it was taking all of her effort to not confront the tall brunette about her intentions.

They pulled into the Yale campus and got out of the car. Quinn again offered to carry Rachel's bags and the tiny brunette smiled happily at her as Quinn led the way to their dorm. Jess was walking on Quinn's other side, hands in her pockets and letting Rachel do all of the talking again. She excused herself quickly when they got to their floor and headed to her own bedroom. Quinn unlocked her own door and held it for Rachel to enter before following her into the room.

Quinn dropped Rachel's bags in the corner on her side of the room and pulled the excited diva into her arms, glad to finally have her alone. Rachel melted into her, their bodies pushed against one another as they kissed with a passion that could only come from long distance lovers. Rachel's hands were tangled in her blonde hair and Quinn pushed Rachel up against the closed door, pinning her there with her body.

Their tongues danced against one another and Quinn moaned slightly at the taste of Rachel. The brunette's hands gripped Quinn's shirt tightly, clawing at her back.

There was a knock on the door and Quinn groaned loudly. Rachel loosened her grip and moved so that Quinn could open the door. Jess was standing there with Hayley.

"You guys ready for dinner or what?" asked Jess with a smirk. Rachel was standing behind Quinn with swollen red lips and a faint mark on her neck.

"Yeah, of course. She held her hand out for Rachel, who took it gladly and followed Quinn out of the room. Quinn introduced her to her roommate Hayley and they chatted cordially as they walked to the car.

Quinn had picked a small restaurant not too far off campus that catered to Rachel's vegan diet. Derek met them at the restaurant and the five of them settled down around a table near the back. Quinn saw Jess checking out Rachel and glared at the brunette to back down. She knew that Jess was too competitive and didn't want her to challenge Rachel for her attention. Jess backed down immediately on Quinn's glare and acted pleasantly towards the girl she viewed as her competition throughout dinner.

Dinner went off without a hitch, but Rachel would catch Jess' eyes glancing at Rachel and Quinn's intertwined hands. It was also obvious to her that Derek cared about Quinn, but was much more resolved in the fact that they were destined to be nothing more than friends. Hayley was very reserved compared to Quinn's other friends, but was sweet as can be and seemed genuinely happy to have a group of friends.

Quinn insisted on paying for Rachel's portion of the bill and before she knew it they were back in Quinn's room. Her friends were all planning to head out to a party in a little while and were getting ready. Jess had gotten dressed and appeared in the doorway of Quinn's room in a tight blue dress and stilettos. Rachel saw her girlfriend check out the taller girl for a short moment before turning her attention back to Rachel. Jess and Hayley finished getting ready in Quinn's room and the four girls chatted and laughed, but Rachel kept a keen eye on the already buzzed Jess. Finally the two other girls left and Quinn and Rachel were left with the room for the remainder of the evening.

"Jess is totally into you," said Rachel, feeling a little jealous of the tall brunette that got to spend most of her time with Rachel's girlfriend.

"Yeah, I kind of noticed. She won't flat out admit it to me, but I talked to her the other day about how much I care about you and that I would never do anything to mess us up and she agreed to not interfere." Quinn was upfront and honest, wanting Rachel to not worry about her spending time with Jess.

"I'm glad that you're being forward with her, but that doesn't stop her from undressing you with her eyes."

"Rach, I love you. Jess doesn't have a shot in hell with me and I've told her that. And you should know better than anyone that I have an unfortunate ability to have eyes on me in a room. I thought it only happened in Lima because of my reputation, but I get it here a lot too. I mean Derek hit on me my first weekend here before he knew I was gay."

"So I'm not supposed to be a little protective over the fact that most of the population checks out my girlfriend constantly?" She was pouting slightly and Quinn couldn't help but think about how adorable the brunette looked right now.

"I love that you're protective. And I'm even more glad that you trust me to only be with you." Quinn looked straight in Rachel's eyes.

"I do trust you, Quinn." She moved forward and brushed Quinn's lips with her own. It was tender and sweet and Quinn wrapped her arms gently around the diva's waist and held her.

"I'm so glad that you're here," the blonde murmured, her fingers lightly rubbing Rachel's lower back. "How about a movie and cuddling?" Rachel nodded her agreement and took the remote to scroll through Netflix to find a good movie as Quinn changed into sweatpants and propped up the pillows on the bed for them.

"There are no good movies on here!" she exclaimed.

"Rachel, there are good movies that are not musical in nature," said Quinn sweetly, laughing good-naturedly. She took the remote from Rachel and scrolled through until she found Sixteen Candles. Rachel didn't protest at the choice and settled in next to Quinn on the small twin sized bed.

Quinn felt at ease with Rachel's head on her chest. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through the brunette locks as she watched the movie. Rachel rested her arm on Quinn's stomach, her fingertips rubbing against the soft fabric of Quinn's t-shirt.

"This is perfect, Quinnie," said Rachel, nuzzling her head into Quinn. Quinn responded by leaning down and kissing the brunette's head. They laid in silence watching the movie.

The door banged open and Hayley was standing there, looking petrified.

"Quinn, I need your help," said Hayley, her voice shaking. Both Quinn and Rachel jumped off of the bed.

"What happened, Hayls?" asked Quinn, visibly concerned.

"It's Jess. We got separated at the party and when I found her again she had apparently chugged the better part of a bottle of vodka. I got her back here but she's so sick and I don't know what to do."

"Alright, I'll take care of this. Rachel, can you stay here with Hayley?" Rachel nodded and handed Quinn her cell phone. "I'll call you if I need help. I love you." She kissed the brunette quickly and hugged Hayley before she headed down the hall to Jess' room.

She didn't bother knocking on the door, but just let herself in to find Jess lying on the floor next to her trashcan. Her hair was a mess and her dress was stained down the front. The girl was moaning softly and mumbling incoherently under her breath.

"Jess, it's me, Quinn. C'mon let's get you out of that dress." She walked over to Jess' dresser and rummaged until she found a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. "Can you sit up for me?" Jess just groaned. "Please, Jess? For me?"

"I'm not stripping in front of you." The words fell out of Jess' mouth harshly and Quinn just sighed. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. All of those nights of practice she had with Santana did not prepare her for this.

"I will do it by force if necessary, but I really would prefer it not get to that level." She helped Jess into a sitting position and the tall brunette allowed Quinn to un zipper the dress and struggle to pull it off. She finally dislodged the offending garment and tossed it haphazardly towards Jess' laundry bin.

"Why are you here?" Jess asked, her eyes meeting Quinn's. "You don't care about me, you are in love with that midget." Quinn felt her fists clench at the blow to Rachel.

"I love Rachel, but I don't leave my friends when they need my help. And you are in desperate need of help."

"Why couldn't Hayley be here instead? I don't want you to see me like this. I'm pathetic." Quinn didn't know how to respond, so instead she pulled the t-shirt over Jess' head. "It just sucks to have to watch you parade around with that stupid smitten grin on your face in her presence."

"Jess, I'm not going to apologize for who I love. But this self-loathing crap needs to stop. You're so much better than this." With that, Quinn pushed the sweatpants onto Jess' legs and helped her into a standing position so she could pull them up. "C'mon get into bed." She steadied the very drunk girl and got her to sit on the bed. Quinn walked across the room and got a water bottle out of the mini fridge, opened it, and handed it to her friend.

"Does she know I have feelings for you?" Jess asked, looking up into Quinn's face again.

"She definitely has suspicions."

"Why would she let you come be alone with me when I'm drunk then?"

"Because she trusts me and she knows that I need to help my friend."

"She's lucky, you know. You really are a catch, Quinn Fabray. And I may have announced that to a room of people before drinking way more than I should have." Jess hiccupped and Quinn dove for the trash can just in case. "I'm not going to hurl on you, I think I got that out of my system walking back with Hayley."

"We'll work things out when you're sober. You can't get yourself in these situations over me, Jess."

"Can you hold me for a little while?" Jess looked at her with the saddest eyes Quinn had ever seen.

"If you try to pull anything, I will lose it." Jess nodded in understanding and Quinn let the girl cuddle into her arm, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder. Quinn could feel her t-shirt getting wet as the tears poured from Jess' eyes.

Eventually the tears subsided and Quinn forced Jess under the covers and tucked her in. She placed another bottle of water next to the bed with the trashcan.

"I'll see you in the morning, Jess." She leaned down and kissed her friend's forehead before shutting off the light and leaning the room.

Quinn returned to her room to find Rachel and Hayley both sitting on Hayley's bed talking.

"How is she?" Hayley asked as soon as Quinn entered the room.

"She'll be okay. She's just a little emotional but she seemed to have gotten all of the vomit out with you on the walk home."

"Thank goodness. I'm so sorry that we ruined your night," said her roommate sheepishly.

"It's not your fault, Hayls. Do you like Sixteen Candles?" The girl nodded and Quinn restarted the movie, summoning Rachel back to her bed with one look. The three girls settled into a comfortable silence and after a while Quinn realized that the other two had fallen asleep. She turned off the light and the TV and crawled back under the blankets with Rachel, kissing her girlfriend's temple lightly before wrapping her arms around her tightly and falling asleep.

Quinn groaned at the stiffness in her neck as she tried to roll over. Two people in a twin-sized bed was a very tight squeeze and Rachel's limbs were entangled with hers. Finally she gave up trying to move and instead pushed the hair off of Rachel's face, taking in her girlfriend's peaceful face. It had to be early – she could hear Hayley snoring softly on the other side of the room and Rachel was still out cold and they were both morning people.

She let her hands stroke Rachel's hair softly as she laid there. Quinn's thoughts were focused on Rachel, but she had a nagging worry about Jess in the back of her head. Her friend had been in quite the state last night. She was so used to Jess' unwavering confidence and Jess had been extremely vulnerable. It made Quinn uncomfortable to think that it was because of her that Jess had ended up in that state. Quinn knew that her and Jess hadn't really talked about deep issues in their friendship and she figured that it was probably time to do that.

Rachel stirred in Quinn's arms and smiled as she felt the blonde wrapped up in her. She yawned softly and opened her eyes to see her girlfriend watching her. Quinn's face was smiling, but she could tell that she was worried underneath. Leaving Hayley to sleep, the girls got ready quietly and tiptoed out of the room.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Rachel as she sat across from Quinn in the dining hall. Quinn was clutching her coffee, not eating.

"I'm worried about Jess. Apparently her little breakdown last night kind of revolved around her feelings for me and your presence." Quinn wanted to be completely honest with her girlfriend and hoped that Rachel wouldn't fly into a jealous diva tantrum.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. She could pretend that there was something between you guys when I was imaginary. But now that I'm here and our relationship is on display in front of her she probably is having a hard time handling it." Rachel couldn't help but feel a little gratification that Jess was jealous of her. It wasn't a feeling that Rachel had experienced often in high school.

"You're not mad?" asked Quinn tentatively.

"Why would I be? You're with me aren't you?" Rachel hardly gave Quinn's question a thought and instead dove into her fruit salad. She felt Quinn's hazel eyes on her and looked up to see her girlfriend sitting there with a goofy grin.

"You're beautiful, Rach," was all that came out of Quinn's mouth. She didn't have words for all of her emotions towards the brunette. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"I want you to show me around campus. Other than that, I just want to be with you, Q."

They wrapped up breakfast and stopped by Quinn's room so that she could get her camera before heading out on the informal tour of Yale's campus. Quinn showed Rachel where she had class and her favorite spots, but she was much more interested in the girl that was walking hand in hand with her. Rachel seemed enthusiastic about seeing everything and Quinn was just happy to be around her.

It was a beautiful autumn day. The air was crisp and colorful leaves crunched under their feet as they strolled along the sidewalk. Quinn squeezed Rachel's hand playfully as she led her back to the dorm and they laughed as they walked, not noticing anything about their surroundings.

They returned to find that Hayley had left for brunch and found themselves tangled up in the bed once again. Quinn couldn't resist running her hands over Rachel's body and had forced the brunette back onto the bed almost as soon as they got back.

"Quinn, Hayley could be back any minute," giggled Rachel as Quinn bit her lightly on the neck, soothing the mark with her tongue.

Quinn didn't want to make her roommate uncomfortable at making her witness Quinn and Rachel in the throes of passion, but it was so hard to pull herself away from the petite brunette pinned below her. She kissed Rachel deeply, willing herself to not rip off their clothing. They were wrapped up in themselves and didn't hear the knock at the door.

"Oh. Shit. Sorry." Quinn leapt at the sound of the voice. Jess was standing there in sweatpants looking awful. She turned quickly and left the doorway.

"I'll be right back, Rach." She kissed Rachel lightly on the nose before running after Jess.

She found the girl in the bathroom with tears forming in her eyes. Quinn approached her cautiously.

"Jess, I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry, Quinn? Because you like making out with your girlfriend in the privacy of your own room?" Jess knew that she was being icy, but it killed her to have the blonde so close to her.

"I'm not trying to flaunt her in front of you. Can we please talk? We really need to deal with this, Jess. When Rachel leaves tomorrow, we are going to sit down and deal with this because avoiding it all is not helping." Jess couldn't look up at the blonde, but she heard the desperation in her voice. She wanted to be in her life, but Jess didn't know how to do that knowing she could never get what she wanted from Quinn. "Tomorrow, I promise." With that, Quinn squeezed her friend's arm lightly before leaving her alone in the bathroom.

Rachel was sitting upright on Quinn's bed, having cooled down from their make out session while Quinn ran after Jess. She knew that the blonde was trying her best, but this weekend had not been the romantic getaway that Rachel had imagined.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I told her we'd talk after you leave tomorrow, so hopefully it's just you and I now." Rachel could see Quinn's genuine concern for both her girlfriend and her friend.

"It's alright." Rachel wanted to be mad at Quinn for constantly running after Jess, but she couldn't. She trusted Quinn and she knew that Quinn was just trying to help her friend in a really awkward situation.

"No, it's not, but I'll do anything to salvage what is left of this weekend. Would you like to experience true college tailgating and a Yale football game?" It hadn't been her original intention, but Quinn thought that getting Rachel out for some fun would be the best thing for them.

"I liked football a lot better when you were wearing a skimpy uniform on the sidelines," said Rachel seductively. Quinn bit her lip, willing herself to not take the girl right there. Thankfully Hayley returned from breakfast at that moment because it forced Quinn to have some self-control.

"Although I won't be in a Cheerio uniform, do you want to go to the game or would you rather do something else? Derek said his team was tailgating and we were welcome to stop by."

"It sounds fun, Quinn. I don't get to do typical college stuff at a performing arts school."

Quinn invited Hayley along, but she had already made plans to go with some other friends, so Rachel and Quinn pulled on jeans and sweaters before heading out. Quinn hadn't gone to any of the games so far that fall despite Derek's constant begging for her to join him so she was just as amazed as Rachel when they headed toward the field and were surrounded by students and alumni tailgating with red solo cups and donning Yale sweatshirts. She texted Derek so he could direct her where to find their section and she grasped Rachel's hand tightly as she guided her through the rowdy students.

They finally found where the lacrosse boys were tailgating. Quinn recognized a few of the guys that she had met through Derek and waved to them. Still holding Rachel's hand, she walked over to Derek, who was looking handsome in his Yale Lacrosse sweatshirt with khakis, holding his red cup. Two of his teammates were manning a coal barbeque a few feet away, cooking up all types of meat.

"Hey, girls!" said Derek excitedly, pulling Quinn into a hug and smiling at Rachel. "Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

"Nothing to eat, thanks. Rachel is vegan and I'm trying to not torture her. But a couple of drinks would be nice," she said, smiling happily at her girlfriend, who seemed enthralled by the environment. Derek hopping up from his perch and scurried to get them drinks.

"This is quite the scene," breathed Rachel into Quinn's ear. "It's like a movie or something." Quinn took in the sight as well. Most of the people around them were students, but there were plenty of older people mixed in as well. Quinn had heard about how supportive Yale alumni were, particularly for their sports teams and it seemed that tailgating was a great way to socialize and do business. Some of Derek's teammates were already rowdy, singing at the top of their lungs and punching one another in the arm.

Derek came back holding two new red cups and handed one to each girl.

"Quinn mentioned that you're not a beer drinker, so I hope a wine cooler is okay. And I also know that you're very meticulous about your drinks and I would have brought it in the sealed bottle, but we can't have the containers out in the open, so I had to put it in the cup." Rachel was impressed at how well Derek knew her and that he was trying hard to be respectful of her high maintenance ways.

"This is perfect; thanks, Derek," she said, smiling genuinely at the handsome boy. They sat there chatting as people milled around. Derek's lacrosse buddies stopped by to introduce themselves and Quinn kept her fingers entwined tightly with Rachel's to mark her territory. She chuckled at the glances that Jake kept throwing her way, obviously too intimidated to approach the feisty blonde. He was keeping a safe distance from her at all times and Quinn preferred that to having to make yet another scene in front of Rachel.

By the time they made it into the bleachers, Quinn had a strong buzz. She was giddy with Rachel on her arm, the two of them excited. The game didn't matter. Rachel was in New Haven. She was on Quinn's arm for everybody to see. Life felt perfect.

Quinn hardly caught what was going on in the game. She was too happy to be sandwiched into the crowded bleachers between Derek and Rachel yelling along with the crowd. When it ended, they walked back towards the main part of campus laughing, still elated from the afternoon. The girls thanked Derek for the fun afternoon at the door to Quinn's dorm before they skipped up to Quinn's room, finding it blissfully empty. Quinn sent her a roommate a quick text to check where she was and was glad to be informed a few minutes later that she would be out with her friends for the rest of the night.

"We've got the room to ourselves," said Quinn seductively, pulling Rachel in close. "What do you want to do first?"

Rachel's stomach answered by growling loudly. Quinn laughed and grabbed a pile of take out menus off of her desk. She and Rachel flipped through them, finally deciding on Chinese.

Quinn called in the food and an hour later they were lying on the floor. The takeout had been eaten hungrily and cartons were scattered around them. Rachel's body was half on top of Quinn as they kissed roughly. The rug scratched Quinn's back where her shirt had ridden up but she could only focus on the sensation of Rachel's lips on her own.

The blonde pulled the petite girl on top of her, feeling Rachel's leg swing in between hers and she sighed. Her hands slid under Rachel's shirt, her fingers scraping up the smooth skin of the brunette's back.

Rachel's skin was on fire, burning under Quinn's soft touch. She rocked slowly, pushing her thigh into Quinn's core. Quinn moaned into Rachel's mouth, digging her fingernails into Rachel's hips.

"God, Rach," Quinn whimpered. Rachel's thigh was pushing into her, making her jeans feel way too restrictive. The blonde pulled Rachel's sweater up and ripped it over her girlfriend's head. Her hands ran along Rachel's sides, urging the girl on.

Rachel stood up suddenly and pulled Quinn up with her. Their lips met again and Quinn's hands felt to Rachel's ass, gripping it tightly as she bit down slightly on Rachel's bottom lip. The brunette groaned and ripped Quinn's sweater up, breaking their kiss only long enough to yank it over her head.

Quinn felt herself being pushed backwards and she tripped over takeout containers as Rachel shoved her against her desk, their lips never leaving one another's. Rachel was standing between Quinn's legs, but she desperately missed the pressure from Rachel's thigh against her core. Rachel reached behind Quinn and unhooked her bra, letting it fall away as her hands found Quinn's breasts, the nipples already hard with arousal.

Rachel moved her hands down and her fingers fumbled with the blonde's belt as Quinn sucked on her neck, making her throw her head back and moan in pleasure. She finally got the belt undone and tore the button open, which allowed her hand to cup Quinn's heat through her panties. The blonde girl was pushing against Rachel's hand, desperate for more pressure. Rachel pulled the jeans roughly down her girlfriend's thighs, noticing the large wet spot on Quinn's panties as her hands began to explore again.

"Up," Rachel breathed into Quinn's ear and Quinn pushed her textbooks aside so that she could sit on the top of the desk. Rachel was standing between her legs with her tongue flitting against Quinn's painfully hard nipple as her hand stroked her swollen clit through the thin layer of material.

"Please, Rach," Quinn moaned, her hands undoing Rachel's bra and tearing it off of the brunette's shoulders.

Rachel didn't have to be asked twice. She hooked her thumbs in Quinn's panties and the blonde lifted her hips slightly to allow Rachel to pull them off of her. Rachel's fingers ran up and down, coating themselves in Quinn's ever growing wetness. She could feel the heat between her own legs from touching Quinn.

Pulling away from Quinn's nipple, Rachel kissed down Quinn's stomach, feeling the muscles jerk. Her hand was rubbing slow circles over Quinn's clit and the blonde's hand was tangled in the brown hair as her girlfriend's lips kissed up her inner thigh. Rachel fell to her knees in front of the blonde, her mouth even with her girlfriend's dripping pussy.

It was a sensation like Quinn had never experienced. Rachel's breath was hot as she kissed her way up through Quinn's wet folds. Her tongue lapped up the juices and she moaned at the taste of Quinn.

She closed her lips around the engorged clit and let her teeth graze it lightly; causing Quinn's hips to buck involuntarily and a moan escaped her lips. Rachel tried different motions with her tongue and Quinn rewarded her with a melody of moans and screams.

"Fingers," Quinn panted and Rachel obliged, bringing her hand up and sliding one finger into Quinn's hole. She was tight and clamped on Rachel's finger and she thrust in and out, matching the pace with the swirls of her tongue. Quinn was yanking at Rachel's hair and Rachel took it as a hint to speed up. She added another finger and fucked Quinn's hole, curling her fingers.

"Fuck, Rach…Oh, God…Fuck!" With one last thrust, Quinn exploded in her orgasm, bucking hard and Rachel had to fight to keep her tongue on Quinn's clit as she rode out her orgasm. When Quinn's screamed subsided and her hips stopped leaping off of the desk, Rachel removed her fingers and put them in her mouth, tasting Quinn's sweet juices.

Quinn was panting hard and trying to keep her balance on the edge of the desk but her limbs were shaky. Rachel pulled her to her feet and they collapsed on the bed, Rachel stripping her pants as she went.

Their lips found one another again, leaving Quinn breathless again. Rachel's nearly naked body was lying next to her, begging for Quinn's touch. Quinn forced herself up onto her elbows and slung her leg over Rachel, straddling the small diva's waist. She dove into Rachel's neck, biting her pulse spot and soothing it with her tongue. Rachel was already moaning lightly, her nails scraping down Quinn's bare back.

Quinn let her tongue work its way down to Rachel's chest, stopped to bite on her collarbone. She trailed wet kisses down the valley between the brunette's breasts as her fingers flicked over the taut nipples, causing Rachel to arch her back into Quinn. The brunette was moaning, already so close to the edge from getting Quinn off minutes before.

The blonde took the hints and continued her path southward, kissing down Rachel's abs and pulled her panties off as her tongue ran along the brunette's pelvic bone. Rachel threaded her fingers into Quinn's messy blonde hair, lightly pushing Quinn further down.

Quinn acquiesced, sliding down further on the bed, her hands hooked around Rachel's thighs as her face hovered over Rachel's sex. Quinn took in the sight of her girlfriend and sighed, taking in her sweet scent and she moved her mouth down to kiss Rachel's slit. The brunette was already bucking her hips off of the bed and Quinn grasped tightly onto her thighs as she slid her tongue along the wet folds.

She pushed her tongue into Rachel's tight hole, causing the girl to release a loud, guttural moan of ecstasy and Quinn felt wetness flood between her own legs again. Quinn let her tongue slid in and out of Rachel, feeling the girl clamp around her tongue. She pulled one hand out from under Rachel's thigh and replaced her tongue with a slender finger as she moved her mouth up to encumber the diva's swollen clit.

Quinn flicked the tip over her tongue as she fucked Rachel with her finger. The brunette's hips were flying off of the bed now and she was cursing loudly.

"Fuck..I'm coming…Fuck..QUINN!" Quinn tried her best to keep her mouth on Rachel as she flew over the edge, her own arousal tripling at the sound of Rachel screaming her name as she came.

When Rachel's walls stopped clamping around her finger, Quinn extracted it before moving up to kiss Rachel. Rachel opened her mouth, her chest still heaving as she tried to catch her breath and Quinn filled it with her tongue, letting Rachel taste herself on Quinn's mouth.

There was no urgency, just a need to be close. They kissed lightly as they came down from their high. Rachel pulled Quinn off of her and instead spooned with the blonde, pushing her back into the blonde's naked front. It was intimate and sensual. Rachel thought about how nice being with a girl was. Finn had never really let her cuddle afterwards, choosing to either fall asleep or wanted to go get a burger. But Quinn just held her close, sporadically kissing Rachel's bare shoulder.

"You're so sexy, Rachel," Quinn murmured into the brunette's ear. "I'm so lucky." Rachel didn't even know it, but it was exactly what she needed to hear in that moment. She smiled happily and cuddled in tighter to the ex-Cheerio.

"Thank you for the perfect weekend," Rachel responded, her eyes closing sleepily.

"Anything for you." Quinn draped her arm over the brunette's waist. "Rach, we need to put clothes on before Hayley comes back for the night. Rachel grumbled, already falling asleep. Quinn forced herself to get up and grab pajamas for them, forcing Rachel to put some on before they tangled themselves back up in the small bed. Rachel was snoring before Quinn had a chance to say goodnight. She snuggled into the crook of Rachel's neck and smiled, happier than she ever remembered being.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"I don't want to leave without you," pouted Rachel. She was standing in the train station with her arms around Quinn's neck.

"I'll be down to visit in three weeks, Rach." Quinn didn't want her to leave either, but she was trying to play the strong one right now.

"Why did you have to pick Yale? There are plenty of suitable choices in New York City." Rachel was whining now and becoming increasingly unreasonable as the minutes ticked by.

"Only three weeks, baby. Then it'll only be a month until Thanksgiving and then only another month until we're home for winter break." Rachel let Quinn pull her closer as she tried to calm the diva.

"I know, but I miss you, Quinnie."

"I miss you too." She kissed Rachel's forehead softly. Overhead, the announcement of Rachel's train echoed. "I guess that's your cue." Quinn pulled Rachel even tighter, her arms wrapped around the slender waist. She breathed in Rachel's scent, wanting to take it all in before she was gone again.

"I'll call you when I get home. I love you, Quinn." She kissed Quinn hard.

"I love you too, pretty girl." Rachel smiled up at her and kissed her one more time before she picked up her bags and headed towards her train. Quinn stood rooted to the spot until the train disappeared, taking her girlfriend with it.

Once Quinn was back in her car, she sat in the parking lot to contemplate her next move. She knew she had to face the inevitable: Jess. But first she needed some advice and as much as she hated to admit it, she needed to talk to Santana Lopez.

"Glad to know you haven't fallen off the face of the earth," said Santana sarcastically when she answered the phone.

"If I didn't need your help I would follow that with a bitchy retort," Quinn replied easily.

"What kind of shit did you step in this time, Fabray?" asked Santana. Her eye roll was evident even over the phone.

"You know my friend Jess that I've mentioned?"

"The hot lesbian that Rachel is a little threatened by?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Well it came out that she has feelings for me and basically made a giant spectacle of herself the entire time that Rachel was here this weekend. I think I settled Rachel's insecurities by proving my loyalty, but now I have to deal with Jess. What the hell do I do?" Quinn wasn't sure why Santana was the one she was asking for advice. Santana didn't care about hurting people's feelings; she only cared about getting whatever she wanted.

"Well don't fuck things up with Berry. I don't care how much you say you dealt with her insecurities because you know that Berry is high maintenance and it's going to be an ongoing thing as long as Jess is around. As far as dealing with Jess, I thought you told me she was a girl whore. Now you're telling me that was all an act to cover up the fact that she has the hots for you?"

"I think that sums it up, San."

"You can't give this girl any hope. Not even an inkling. I know you've changed since your HBIC days so I know you care too much to just abandon her, but you need to put preserving your relationship with Berry as a top priority and this friendship as a secondary thing."

"Ugh, I'm so not good at breaking hearts. Can you just come out here and deal with it for me?"

"Are you calling me a heartless bitch? Either way, grow a set and handle your problems like a grown up because I am not coming all the way to fucking Connecticut to fight your battles."

"Thanks, bitch. How's my sweet Britt doing?"

"She's awesome, as usual. California rocks. But we miss you and the hobbit."

"Aww, I miss you girls too. Will I see you for Thanksgiving at least?"

"We'll do our best. B needs to see if she can take a few days back to make the trip to Ohio."

"Alright. I'll try to call soon. Love you, S."

"Yeah, yeah. You too, Q." Quinn hung up the phone and sighed as she started the car. Santana definitely kept it real and even more so, she kept Quinn on track.

"We don't need to talk about anything, Quinn. I've been acting like a jackass and it won't happen again. Can we please just forget about it?" Jess was sitting on her bed, refusing to talk to Quinn and avoiding her eyes at all costs.

"That's where you're wrong, Jess. We do need to talk. You have feelings for me and I can't sit around and just ignore that without us talking about it." Quinn was being stubborn, but if Jess really was anything like Santana, it was one of her only options. And since Britt wasn't around to help, it was really Quinn's only option.

"What is there to talk about? I'm an idiot that let myself get carried away."

"How did it happen though? I mean I know that I've been fawning over Rachel, but usually I'm pretty perceptive to what is going on around me." Quinn was still kicking herself for not realizing Jess' feelings way earlier than she did.

"I realized that morning in your bed just like you did. This is a first for me, Q."

"What do you mean this is a first?"

"I don't let myself have feelings for people. My parents are super liberal and were okay with my sexuality. But they have a terrible, loveless marriage. My eldest brother is a lawyer and is married, but sleeps with his secretary every chance he gets. My other brother is engaged to a Catholic girl and has completely changed to meet her standards. I refuse to end up like any of them." Jess' eyes were shining with tears and Quinn found herself sitting down next to her friend.

"You're not them, Jess. You're not going to end up like them because you let people in."

"No, but I like what I can't have. The chase is the most fun part of any hookup. Of any relationship, really. I've done the chase dozens of times. But this is the first time that the chase doesn't feel like enough." Jess blew her nose before continuing. "When I saw you in your room that first day, you set off my gaydar but I totally had you pegged for the repressed type that was going to need me to help her find her way. But then you didn't need me because despite your crappy family life, you are extremely well adjusted. Then I thought you would want someone that is in control, someone who is sexy, confident, and smart. Someone who would make you feel special the way that you hadn't felt in high school despite being the most popular girl in town. Again, you showed me that you already had that in Rachel. And when it came to seeing your face in the train station on Friday, I realized that I wasn't in this for the chase anymore. I wanted to win but not for the reasons I had in the beginning. I didn't care about the chase; I only cared about having the girl."

Quinn was a little stunned. Jess had put up some resistance at first, but then everything spilled out like a waterfall. She mulled over Jess' words, trying to figure out how best to respond.

"God, I'm so freaking pathetic. Although I'm probably like every guy was in your cow town. Falling for prom queen cheerleader Quinn Fabray. This isn't new for someone like you."

"Jess, believe me when I say this is the first time I've had to deal with anything like this. First of all, I'm completely new to being around lesbians in general. Secondly, boys might have fallen at my feet, but it was way more in admiration and fear than because of love. And lastly, they weren't my closest friend at college that I desperately don't want to lose over this."

"Does Rachel even know you're talking to me still? I bet she's not pleased."

"Rachel trusts me. And more than that, I love her and would never do anything to hurt her or my relationship. If I thought you were going to ruin my relationship, I definitely wouldn't be here right now. But I am because I care about our friendship. I know it probably hurts to be around me and if you don't want to be I understand, but I do want you as a friend, Jess." Quinn meant it sincerely and the brunette finally got the courage to look into her face.

"Thanks, Q," mumbled Jess, letting her head fall onto the blonde's shoulder as she cried it all out, knowing that having Quinn as a friend was definitely better than not having Quinn at all.

"Seriously, Kurt? The boy came all the way from Ohio and you guys barely left the apartment?" Rachel was sitting on Kurt's bed as he recapped his weekend with Blaine.

"I had made all of these fabulous last minute plans. We had been fighting so much lately that I thought he might be coming to New York just to break up with me. Instead, we spent the weekend making up."

"Gross. Please tell me you kept the making up to your bedroom?" Kurt giggled and his cheeks turned pink. "Damn it, Kurt! You better wash every square inch of this apartment where you spent time making up."

"How were things with Miss Fabray?" asked Kurt, changing the subject away from Blaine's visit.

"They were great besides the fact that her best friend is totally in love with her." Kurt gasped dramatically.

"Do you think there is something going on between them?"

"No, I know that nothing has happened. But this girl, Jess, is like drop dead beautiful. Quinn is prettier, but only marginally. It's like she found her match. Jess would totally have been Quinn's second in command in high school. I can't help but think that I'm just an experiment until Quinn finds someone more suitable."

"Nonsense, Rachel. You know that Quinn is head over heels for you. Don't pull this popularity argument because you know damn well that Quinn was willing to give all of that up to just be your friend senior year." Rachel knew Kurt was right. She was letting her old insecurities get the best of her.

"I know you're right. I just can't help but think that it's still a dream. That Quinn Fabray, THE Quinn Fabray chose me." She sighed as she fell into daydreams of Quinn at the lake house.

"You girls are nauseatingly adorable. But we seriously need to rehearse our parts for class tomorrow, Rachel." She sighed and picked up her script as Kurt began.

Kurt was finally satisfied with the scene nearly two hours later and Rachel quickly retreated to her own room. Her cell was lying on her bed and she laid down before checking her messages.

**Talked to Jess. She really opened up and I think we'll be able to handle things without the freak-outs now. Sorry that it got in the way of our weekend together.**

Rachel pressed the dial button and held the phone to her ear as it rang. After four rings Rachel heard Quinn's voice requesting that she leave a message and she hung up without doing so.

_Quinn is probably still with Jess so she can't talk about the situation right now._ Rachel reasoned to herself.

Rachel was exhausted from travelling and working with Kurt. She pulled her towel from its hook and headed into the bathroom where she let the hot water pulse down her back as she sang, loving the acoustics of the small room.

The first song that came to mind was one that she had heard through Quinn. It wasn't her normal Broadway number, but she couldn't help getting caught up in it anyway as she thought about Quinn.

_I'm on top of the world_

_I can see it all around me_

_Such beautiful words_

_Leaving and oceans_

_I can feel it_

_Never felt this before_

_I got a beautiful woman_

_We're coming off of_

_The hard end of harder times_

_Gonna be starting something_

_That gets us straight up outta here_

_I can fix it_

_Let me take us away_

_Yeah, we leave at night_

_We stay by day_

_Say you're with me_

_There's gold ahead_

_There's golden dreams_

_And life's hills and valleys_

_Yeah, will you hold on with me?_

_Let me take us_

_Let me take us away, away_

The loud knocking on the door interrupted Rachel's singing. She turned off the water and hastily wrapped her towel around herself before she opened the door.

"What is it?" she asked Kurt, wondering what couldn't wait until she got out of the shower.

"Santana is on the phone and she threatened me until I agreed to get you on the phone immediately." He held out his cell phone and she took it.

"Yes, Santana?" she asked impatiently.

"Nice to talk to you again too, Berry." Rachel did not like Santana's smug tone.

"What is it that you wanted?"

"I talked to Q earlier. She filled me in on the Jess drama and I figured you were having your little freak outs now that she's at Yale and you're not." Rachel didn't want to admit it, but Santana was kind of right.

"I trust her." It was all Rachel could manage because she really didn't want to be discussing her feelings with Santana Lopez at this particular moment.

"Look, Berry. I know Quinn can be stupid as hell when it comes to relationships most of the time, but she digs you. I'm not quite sure why, but she does. Don't freak her out because you're insecure that there's someone else looking at her. You've gotta face it, Quinn Fabray will always turn heads. And Quinn is smitten enough with you that she'll drop everything to run to New York and soothe you and you know that's not the best thing for her right now."

"Are you telling me to get over myself through a Rachel Berry worthy rant?"

"Shut it, Berry. Just don't fuck it up with Q, please. I do not want to fly to the East Coast to pick up those pieces."

"Thanks, San."

"Yeah, whatever. Bye, Berry."

Rachel went back into her bedroom and got into her pajamas. Her own cell phone was still lying on her bed and there were no new messages. She finished her bedtime routine and crawled under the covers before typing out her message.

**Glad you worked things out with Jess. I'm going to bed and I miss you.**

She felt stupid for missing Quinn so much. Going to sleep without hearing her voice and not being tangled up with her was nearly unbearable. She tossed for a long time until the phone in her hands finally vibrated.

**I miss you too, babe. Sweet dreams.**

She smiled into her pillow and cuddled her gold star bear a little tighter as sleep washed over her.

Jess, Hayley, and Quinn were sitting on Jess' floor, a bottle of vodka and three shot glasses between them. It was a Sunday and Quinn had to be up early for class, but after having the heart-to-heart with Jess, it seemed like a necessity.

The three of them were laughing and Quinn could feel the vodka going straight to her head, but she was glad that things seemed to be comfortable around Jess again. By the time the bottle was gone, the three of them were pretty trashed and it was past midnight. Hayley yawned loudly in between her hiccups and figured she should head to bed, leaving just Quinn and Jess in the room.

"I should probably go to bed too. I have an early class tomorrow," said Quinn as she leaned against Jess' bed.

"Yeah me too I guess. Thanks for tonight, Q, I really needed my best friend." Jess blushed slightly and looked away.

"I know. I'll see you for lunch tomorrow if I'm still alive." Quinn stood up and Jess followed, hugging the blonde tightly before she left.

Quinn finally collapsed on her own bed, exhausted. She hadn't checked her phone since she had given Rachel the update on Jess. Her phone showed a missed call and a goodnight text from Rachel and a message from Santana reminding her to not fuck things up. She returned the messages before passing out.

The hangover Quinn experienced as soon as her alarm went off in the morning made her contemplate skipping class. Her guilt got the best of her and she swallowed a few Advil before taking a shower. It was the first time she wore sweatpants to class and she had shaded her eyes with her Ray Bans as she made her way across campus for class.

"Damn, you look like shit, Fabray!" said Derek in greeting as she slunk in and collapsed into her chair next to him.

"Fucking Jessica's fault. I don't know why I agreed to drink so much on a school night."

"Welcome to college, Q," he said, twirling his pen in his fingers. Their professor walked in and Quinn forced herself to pull her notebook and pen from her bag and gave note taking an attempt, however futile it turned out to be.

After she bade Derek goodbye, she was thankful for her break before her next class. Quinn headed straight for the coffee bar, desperate for caffeine. She sunk into a chair, sipping her coffee appreciatively and pulling her cell out of her pocket.

**I was stupid and got drunk on a school night and now I'm having the morning from hell. But I miss you and I hope you are having a good day.**

She knew that she just opened the door for a Rachel Berry lecture, but there was something oddly soothing about not keeping things from Rachel. When they were just friends, Quinn would often skip over details of particular outings with Santana or Puck to save herself from being lectured. She figured as long as she didn't lie, Rachel didn't need to know about the few times she joined Puck getting high or when she agreed to let Santana order a slushie facial on a sophomore boy that reminded her a little too much of Finn.

**You're lucky I'm in class otherwise I would be lecturing you on your irresponsible behavior. And you're rubbing off on me. I'm actually texting in class.**

Quinn chuckled at Rachel's response. She knew the girl was probably sitting in a room with fifty other students but was still terrified that her professor would scold her for sending a text under her desk yet couldn't resist to remind Quinn of her 'irresponsible behavior.'

By lunch, Quinn's hangover was finally starting to subside. She saw Jess sitting in the dining hall when she arrived, but a gigantic pair of dark sunglasses shielded the brunette's eyes.

"I see your morning has been just as miserable as mine has," she said she dropped into the seat across from Jess.

"You at least made it to class. My ass is only out of bed because we had lunch plans, although I'm cursing you right now for making me venture into the sunlight for this." Quinn laughed at her friend, knowing that she wasn't exaggerating.

Rachel was eating lunch with Kurt and her friend Ashlyn after their morning classes.

"Can you believe that she got drunk on a school night? I mean, she knows how important Yale is but she's just willing to get drunk with Jess like it's nothing. Apparently things are all peachy keen now, but Quinn Fabray is getting wasted on school nights!"

"Rachel, you know I love you. But there's no need to give us the lecture that I'm sure you'll be delivering to Quinn as soon as you get an opportunity. May I suggest that you try to tone down your jealousy of Jess however?" Kurt knew Rachel better than most people, but Ashlyn still looked a little shell-shocked. Rachel was even more of a diva than most of the others in their class.

Rachel huffed for a minute, contemplating giving Kurt his own lecture on giving his unwanted opinions but managed to reel herself in at the slightly terrified look on Ashlyn's face.

"Fine," she pouted slightly and turned her attention to her salad instead.

"What did you think about class this morning?" asked Kurt, pulling the focus away from Quinn and onto a topic that he knew would keep Rachel going for the rest of their lunch break.

Rachel didn't get to talk to Quinn until she was already half asleep in her bed. She had contemplated not even rolling over to answer it, but she liked hearing Quinn's voice too much to overlook the opportunity.

"You know I need my diva sleep, Quinn Fabray," she said crankily when she answered the call.

"Good thing you break your routines because I'm adorable then," answered Quinn playfully.

"I'm going to guess it was your plan to call late so that I would be too tired to put any energy into expressing my displeasure at your actions last evening."

"Busted. But before you climb on your high horse despite the late hour, I would like to say that I admit that my actions were irresponsible and I greatly paid for them this morning. However, you should focus on the fact that Jess and I have worked out the kinks and will be able to manage to continue our friendship and we able to drink in one another's presence with no repercussions beyond terrible hangovers this morning."

"I'm glad you are learning from your mistakes. And as you just rambled in true Rachel Berry fashion, I will skip giving you an actual Rachel Berry lecture this time." Quinn laughed with relief. Being adorable to Rachel was definitely beneficial sometimes.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Even though she wasn't hungover, the rest of Quinn's week was just as awful. It was midterm season and she found herself studying and reading until all hours of the night. She had hardly found time to talk to Rachel since she was in the library every night beyond Rachel's bedtime schedule.

So by the time Friday rolled around, Quinn was beyond spent. Her professors had assigned even more that was due next week, but instead of getting started, Quinn found herself in bed, trying to catch up on all the sleep she had lost that week.

It was lunchtime before she forced herself to get out of bed. She took a quick shower and ran to meet her friends for lunch. Jess and Hayley were sitting at a table with a few other girls she was friendly with and she got a sandwich before joining them. Everybody had been in the same stressful boat all week and were ready to let loose before picking back up the craziness of school on Sunday.

"I hear Sigma Chi is throwing a big party tonight," said one of the girls and they all agreed immediately that a frat party would be the cure for all the stress they had been under this week. When Jess prodded her in the ribs and asked if she was coming, Quinn agreed enthusiastically.

She forced herself to work on her English paper until dinner and after dinner was filled with party prep and pregaming. Quinn opted for tight jeans and her leather jacket in contrast to Jess' impossibly tight dress. She let Jess take over her hair and makeup as she sipped her mixed drink. The outcome involved her wearing made her hazel eyes pop and her hair had a fun braid through it as it was pulled back in a loose bun. Quinn knew she looked hot and was going to enjoy a fun night of having eyes on her.

A few short hours later, Quinn found herself on the dance floor at Sigma Chi having the time of her life. It was weird to realize that her and Jess got a lot of notice as soon as they walked in the door. It was a pretty well known fact that Jess was a lesbian and boys kept their distance from the fiery brunette, but that didn't stop the steady stream of girls that came over to dance with her. Quinn wasn't playing wingman tonight. Jess was actually trying to not go home with any random girls for once and they were definitely putting up a fight to make her change her decision.

Quinn, on the other hand, had a flow of guys and the occasional girl that deflected from Jess' path dancing with her. Derek had swooped in to say hello, but was now dancing across the room with a tall blonde girl and Quinn was fighting off another jock.

"Dance with me," Quinn felt her best friend breathe into her ear from behind. "I can't take all of these other girls and I need you to be an anti-wingman." Quinn laughed and spun around to face Jess. The girl was smirking as she held her hand out to Quinn who gratefully accepted it instead of dancing with the dopey jock that was trying to put on the moves.

The girls danced playfully and Quinn had slung her arm around Jess' neck, pulling the brunette closer so that she could talk into her ear as they danced.

"I think that short girl over there is going to murder me. I heard her say that she was going to leave with you tonight," said Quinn, her breath hot on Jess' neck. Jess' hearty laugh filled Quinn's ear and she smiled, enjoying this comfort she had with her best friend.

The night wore on and people left Jess and Quinn alone, much to both girls' pleasure. They danced and laughed and talked into one another's ears. By the end of the night, Quinn wasn't even drunk anymore, but she was happy.

By the time that they gathered their coats and headed back, Quinn's feet were throbbing. Hayley had left earlier, so she strolled back with Jess, their arms linked and their conversation light. They said goodbye at Quinn's door and she immediately changed and fell into bed.

"KURT!" Rachel yelled from her desk, her eyes fixated on what had appeared on her Facebook newsfeed.

"What is it, drama queen?" said Kurt, rolling his eyes as he entered the room.

"Did you see these pictures?" she said, gesturing to the computer. Kurt walked over to look over her shoulder. It was Quinn looking sexy as hell grinding on a beautiful tall brunette who was wearing a very tight dress.

"Who's the brunette?" he asked, fearing the answer.

"It's Jess! Quinn's best friend that has a massive crush on her that Quinn gets drunk with on school nights!" Rachel's voice was practically yelling even though Kurt was sitting right next to her.

"Rachel, it's probably not what it seems like." For Quinn's sake, he certainly hoped so.

"I'm supposed to trust her around this girl and not make a scene but she can go out and be all over her!" Rachel spun out of her chair and took to pacing in her room.

"Innocent until proven guilty. At least give her a chance to explain before you go crazy on her. You know that girl loves you." Rachel continued pacing with her phone in her hand.

"Fine, I'm going to call her." Kurt nodded at her before leaving the room.

Rachel kept walking, twirling the cell phone between her fingers. She really wanted to think the best of Quinn, but the pictures were staring at her. Quinn's arm around Jess' neck, her mouth against Jess' ear. Jess had her arm around Quinn's waist and was pulling Quinn in close, a smile dancing playfully on her lips. She had to talk to Quinn.

"Hello?" answered a very groggy Quinn on the fourth ring. Rachel had planned to remain calm, but the sound of Quinn hungover in bed at almost noon didn't calm her down.

"Seriously, Quinn? It's almost noon and you're not even up yet! What happened to being so busy with midterms?" Rachel knew she was being unfair but her temper was getting the worst of her, imagining Jess lying in the bed next to her girlfriend.

"What is the matter, Rach?" Quinn still sounded sleepy and Rachel could hear the blankets rustle as Quinn got up.

"What is the matter? Oh, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the pictures that are clogging my newsfeed of you grinding all over Jess last night. Anything you'd like to tell me?" She was pacing again.

"Rachel, nothing happened. Will you stop pacing?" Rachel stopped abruptly, trying to figure out how Quinn knew exactly what she was doing. "Jess and I went out with a whole group of people last night. I had guys trying to hit on me and Jess was getting hit on so we used one another to drive people away. All we did was dance together, Rachel."

"Your best plan was to grind heavily on a girl you know has a crush on you? And I thought you were smart, Quinn Fabray." She wanted to believe Quinn, but Quinn's track record of cheating in her relationships was exactly a good one.

"Rachel, I love you. I only want you. Jess is just a friend. And I really thought you trusted me." They both paused.

"I do trust you," Rachel said quietly. "Am I not enough, Quinn? I know we can't see each other that often and we haven't even gotten to talk much lately. Is our relationship enough for you?"

"You're all I need, Rachel. I like going out and having fun with my friends, but everything is a million times better with you. Nothing happened and nothing is going to happen with Jess. Okay?" Quinn held her breath, hoping that Rachel believed her.

"Okay." Rachel's voice was soft, but the doubt seemed to have dissipated. "I'm sorry to wake you up and accuse you of things. That was really irrational and inconsiderate of me."

"I love waking up to your voice. Even if it is your angry voice." Rachel giggled slightly

"I love you, Quinnie. Call me later."

"Love you too, Rach." Rachel hung up the phone and dialed Santana's number.

"You didn't listen to me, did you munchkin?"

"Do you ever answer the phone with a proper greeting, Santana?"

"I prefer to skip formalities and just get into the fact that you totally ignored me and probably already flipped out to Quinn about her being untrustworthy because she was dancing with her friend last night."

"You can't deny the fact that she's grinding on a person that has a crush on her!" exclaimed Rachel in self-defense.

"That doesn't mean she hooked up with her, Berry. How many times have you seen Quinn dance like that with Britt or me? Quinn is affectionate with her friends and she loves to dance. I hope you at least let her explain."

"I did. She told me it was just as friends."

"And do you believe her?" Santana's voice was serious, knowing that Rachel actually trusting Quinn was everything.

"Yes, I do. Quinn hadn't even seen the pictures yet, she was still in bed so it's not like she had time to come up with a story."

"The only reason you're trusting her is because she wasn't awake yet? That's messed up, Berry. You should trust her because Quinn loves you and wouldn't do that to you." Santana had moved into defensive mode over Quinn.

"I just worry about her past. She cheated on Finn with Puck. She cheated on Sam with Finn. Both times she came up with elaborate lies to cover up her infidelities. She didn't have time to come up with a story, which means I now fully trust her. People need to gain my trust and Quinn has now."

"You're way too complex for me, Berry. Just don't forget how much that girl loves you and would do anything for you. You're seriously stupid if you lose her."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Anytime. B says hi and that we'll see you at Thanksgiving. Bye, Berry." Santana hung up abruptly, leaving Rachel a little speechless. She didn't want to lose Quinn and Santana made her uneasy that her insecurities really could make her do that.

Quinn had just hung up with Rachel when her phone buzzed with a new message.

**S - You're an idiot Q. Pics of you and Jess all over Facebook. Your girl is probably freaking and you totally deserve it.**

Quinn couldn't help but groan. She knew that Santana was just trying to help her not screw up a relationship for once, but it still stung that Santana seemed to be judging her.

**Q - I already talked to her. We're fine.**

**S – You're still an idiot. **

She knew Santana was right, but she just wanted someone to acknowledge that she didn't do anything wrong. Quinn knew she had messed up relationships in the past with her infidelity, but she had never been in love the way she was with Rachel. That alone made it worth it to not screw things up.

Quinn rolled out of bed and pulled herself together. She wanted to do something to make it up to Rachel for making her doubt Quinn's commitment, which Quinn admitted was completely warranted. Rachel loved big romantic gestures and Quinn hated the idea of sending "I'm sorry" flowers.

Picking up a pen, Quinn started to write. Quinn had always been good with words. It was a way to express feelings that she had trouble otherwise conveying. And she knew that is exactly what Rachel needed right now: for Quinn to truly express how she feels.

An hour later, Quinn had a paper full of cross outs and words that seemed to finally describe what she felt towards Rachel. She went to her desk and pulled out her good stationary, rewriting her letter neatly. Quinn had never written a love letter before and it seemed so corny, but she knew that expressing herself would mean the world to Rachel. She picked up the print of the picture she had taken of Rachel and her when she had visited in New York and added it to the envelope with the letter before she sealed it. She dropped it into the mail slot as she headed to the dining hall for lunch.

After the debacle that last night unexpectedly turned into, Quinn declined offers to go out that night and was happy to be in her sweatpants watching movies in her room. Jess had come over to apologize for the pictures and Quinn shrugged her off, knowing it wasn't the brunette's fault that Rachel had gotten mad. She and Hayley headed out a little while later and Quinn was left with the peacefulness.

Quinn was in bed early that night, figuring she would get up early and study the next morning. She was woken suddenly at the sound of the door flying open and slamming against the wall. Hayley stumbled into the room drunker than Quinn had ever seen her with Jess holding onto the smaller girl as support. She deposited Hayley onto her bed and the girl giggled as she flopped down.

"Q, some help please?" said Jess impatiently as she pulled off Hayley's shoes and dropped them to the floor. Quinn stumbled out of her own bed, her eyes burned when Jess flipped the light on. She rubbed them, annoyed at her friends waking her up. They both reeked of tequila and Hayley had a huge stain down the front of her shirt. Groaning, Quinn went to her roommate's dresser and extracted a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants while Jess worked on taking off Hayley's clothes.

Fifteen minutes later, Hayley was tucked into bed and giggling at something that Quinn couldn't figure out. She shook her head and turned towards Jess.

"What happened to her?" Quinn asked.

"I have no idea. I was dancing and all of a sudden she comes over and starts grinding on me with a bottle of tequila in her hand, although most of it was splashed down her shirt. She was flirty as hell and was all over me and was basically falling down so I brought her back here." Hayley started snoring loudly behind them.

"I guess maybe sober Hayley will be able to fill us in at brunch tomorrow."

"Yeah, here's hoping at least. Thanks for your help, Q; sorry we woke you up."

"No big deal. Night, Jess." Jess said goodnight as Quinn climbed back into her own bed. College was certainly never dull.

Jess and Quinn had to forced Hayley out of bed at noon to go to brunch. Normally they would have let the hungover girl sleep, but today they were too interested in what had caused Hayley to be so crazy last night. Usually she was the responsible one, having only a few drinks and rarely grinding on anybody, never mind a girl. She groaned as Quinn thrust a glass of water and the aspirin into her hand as Jess threw open the shades, filling the room with bright sunlight.

It took a giant glass of Gatorade and two cups of coffee before Hayley would do anything but grunt at them. She was sitting at the table looking like a train wreck, her dark sunglasses still shading her eyes despite sitting in the middle of the dining hall.

"What the hell got into you last night?" said Jess, not bothering to ease into the subject.

"Tequila got into me. I thought that much was obvious," Hayley responded sarcastically, taking another large sip of her coffee.

"What spurred the chugging of tequila though? Normally you're little miss responsible." Hayley didn't answer right away. She tapped her fingers on her mug, contemplating.

"How did you guys know you were into girls?" Quinn knew her face showed her surprise at Hayley's question. She thought her roommate was as straight as they came.

"What makes you ask such a question?" asked Quinn tentatively before Jess could make any remarks.

"I was just wondering," said Hayley, her cheeks red. Quinn could tell she was uncomfortable and didn't press the issue. Instead she stood up, ready to leave so she could get back to studying. The others followed; Jess only after Quinn nudged her in the ribs before she tried to make Hayley talk about whatever was on her mind.

It was Tuesday by the time that Rachel got Quinn's letter. As soon as she opened her mailbox and saw the letter with Quinn's handwriting on the front, she was excited. Rushing up the stairs, she threw open the door and dropped her bag so she could tear open the envelope clutched in her hand.

Out fell a letter in Quinn's neat cursive with a picture tucked inside. Rachel remembers Quinn taking the picture of them. It wasn't the best angle because Quinn was extending her arm in front of them, but Rachel could see Quinn's genuine toothy grin and her own megawatt smile and it made her heart flutter. Putting the picture on the counter, she devoured Quinn's words.

Rachel had never read something so romantic in her life. Quinn had a way with words; Rachel figured it was why she had picked English as her major. And for the first time, Rachel was seeing how Quinn could put her emotions into words in a way she often struggled with verbally. The walls were down and Quinn was letting Rachel in with her letter. Rachel read it over three times with silent tears running down her face at the beauty of Quinn's letter.

Carrying her belongings to her room, Rachel picked up her cell phone to call Quinn. It went to voicemail and she glanced at the calendar sitting on her desk. Quinn was still in her photography class for another half hour, but Rachel was too excited to get her work done right now. She dropped her iPod onto the dock and turned up the volume, singing along with every note.

She didn't have an empty frame to put the picture in, so she taped it to the wall above her desk for the time being and made a mental note to pick one up. It was the first picture of them as a real couple and Rachel thought happily of Quinn's first visit to New York earlier that fall. It didn't feel like it had only been a few weeks since then; it already felt like she had been with Quinn for years.

Her phone finally rang and Quinn's name flashed on the screen. Rachel dove for the phone, excited to hear her girlfriend's voice to go with the words from the letter.

"Hi, girlfriend!" She answered enthusiastically.

"You got some mail today didn't you?" Quinn asked with a giggle.

"How did you know that?"

"I can basically feel your excitement through the phone right now. You're emitting happy vibes and I'm hoping that I'm the cause of that." Rachel smiled at how well Quinn knew her, but she could also hear the hesitancy in her girlfriend's voice. She knew Quinn was worried about what Rachel thought of her gesture.

"Quinn, that was the most beautiful love letter in the world. I never knew you were such a romantic under that bitchy exterior." Rachel

"That's because you're the only person that makes me all mushy like that," said Quinn quietly.

"Good, because I don't want to share you with anybody else."

"You don't have to." Quinn knew her letter was exactly what Rachel needed from her. And as scary as it was to have let her walls down even a little bit, Quinn knew there was somebody to help her knock them down.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

A little over two weeks later, Quinn found herself on the train to New York City. It had been three long weeks without seeing Rachel and with midterms and Rachel's rehearsing they had hardly even had time to speak lately. The weather had turned cold as they moved into November and it had been flurrying in New Haven when she had left.

Quinn sat with her laptop, determined to finish her paper before she arrived so that all of her time would be dedicated to Rachel. It was going to be another three weeks until they had a break for Thanksgiving and she would have to share Rachel with her family and their friends when they were back in Lima.

As they pulled into Penn Station, Quinn put the final touches of her paper, saved it, and closed her computer with a satisfying thud. She pushed it into her backpack and grabbed her duffel bag from the overhead shelf as she followed the crowd off of the train and into the busy station. Quinn wanted to be there early, so she insisted that Rachel go to class and that she could navigate the subway up to NYADA on her own. Rachel had e-mailed her explicit instructions of what train to get on and Quinn held the printout as she wandered through the station. It was like being in an underground town. There were restaurants and newsstands and people playing music. She passed an enormous CVS and saw people picking up their prescriptions. Last time she had been here with Rachel and she was too enamored with seeing her girlfriend again to notice her surroundings. Trying to follow the signs to the right subway line was hard when there was so much more to look at.

A nice police officer saw Quinn wandering with the look of a lost tourist and walked her to the subway terminal she needed. She thanked him generously as she got in line to buy her Metrocard. Only a few stops later on the still terrifying subway, she got off a few blocks from Rachel's campus. Despite walking in the wrong direction at first, she got there with relative ease and hunted down the building where she was to meet Rachel in about a half hour. The inside of the building's lobby had a few chairs and Quinn sat down, fiddling with her phone as she waited.

Rachel called twenty minutes later to make sure Quinn wasn't lost somewhere in the city and was pleased to hear that she had found the exact spot that she was supposed to. Rachel walked down from her class and found Quinn sitting in the lobby and her face immediately lit up when their eyes met.

Quinn stood up and wrapped Rachel in her arms, not caring that Rachel's class was filtering down behind her. Rachel met her lips and kissed hard, obviously not caring about the audience.

"This must be the infamous girlfriend," said a voice standing behind Rachel. It was a good looking guy and he was smirking at them.

"Gabe, meet Quinn. Quinn, Gabe," Rachel said, exasperated that he had ruined a perfect moment.

"Pleasure is all mine," said Gabe, still smirking. Quinn knew this was the guy that had made a move on Rachel in the club. Rachel looked anxious at the interaction.

"You're damn right it is," said Quinn, matching his smirk with her HBIC glare. Rachel squeezed her hand tightly. Quinn knew Rachel hated it old Quinn came out, even if it was to protect her honor. She accepted Gabe's outstretched hand very briefly, but it was enough to appease Rachel.

"We better get going. I have lots of catching up to do with Quinn," said Rachel casually, excusing them from Gabe's presence as quickly as possible. They picked up Quinn's bags and started walking back to Rachel's apartment.

It was a chilly afternoon and Quinn wrapped her scarf tighter as they walked into the wind. The walk wasn't very long. Rachel's dads had insisted on getting her an apartment that was close to campus and Quinn was very thankful for that right now.

Their cheeks were red from the wind by the time they burst through the door of Rachel's apartment. Quinn walked into Rachel's room and discarded her bags before joining Rachel in the kitchen. The brunette put the coffee pot on to brew and walked over to resume what Gabe had so rudely interrupted.

Quinn's lips met Rachel's with an urgency that resulted from having been deprived for them for three solid weeks. Her hands found Rachel's hips and she pulled the smaller girl closer as she ran her tongue along Rachel's bottom lip, requesting access. Rachel obliged and Quinn let her tongue penetrate as Rachel moaned softly into her mouth.

"Kurt will be back from class any minute," said Rachel softly, forcing herself to pull away slightly, her forehead against Quinn's.

"Is that supposed to stop me?" Quinn asked impishly.

"Well you definitely can't fuck me against the countertop. I think he's bringing friends back that are going out to dinner with us later." Quinn's mouth was now on Rachel's neck, making it really hard for her to say no to the horny blonde.

"Fineee," Quinn whined, pulling away from the brunette's neck. "Please tell me Gabe is not one of those friends."

"He might be," admitted Rachel. "I'm sure he'll find a way to tag along since he's been putting all of his efforts into making it up to me since he molested me at the club. Befriending my girlfriend is probably his version of the ultimate way to earn my forgiveness."

Quinn groaned, not excited at the prospect of spending dinner with the pompous asshole. Rachel poured the brewed coffee into two mugs and led Quinn over to the couch. They sat and talked, Rachel resting her legs on Quinn's lap.

Kurt returned shortly thereafter with a small group that was thankfully void of Gabe. Rachel jumped up to introduced Quinn to everybody. A couple of faces were familiar from the party last time she visited and they greeted Quinn warmly.

It was amazing to relax with Rachel and her friends and it made Quinn wish she had picked a college in New York so that she could do this every weekend instead of once a month. Rachel's friends were a lot like her and Kurt: extremely ambitious and exceptionally talented. They talked about their classes and other classmates. Every once in a while, there was an outburst of Broadway songs. Quinn zoned them out most of the time, focusing her energies instead on watching Rachel. The girl was beaming as she talked animatedly with her friends. Quinn couldn't help but thinking that if it hadn't been for the way she had made Rachel a leper that Rachel could have been like this in high school as well. But her girlfriend was in her element and Quinn couldn't have been happier.

Rachel was clinging to Quinn's arm as they walked to the restaurant. The temperature had dropped significantly and Quinn could feel the small girl shivering against her under her red peacoat and adorable matching hat.

The restaurant felt warm and inviting after the cold walk and they settled in to have dinner. Quinn felt drunk with happiness watching Rachel with her friends. Kurt was sitting on her other side and she chatted with him about Blaine's visit.

"What are you guys doing about going home for Thanksgiving?" he asked her curiously. Rachel hadn't mentioned if they were going to be open about their relationship. He knew that the Glee kids were aware that they had hooked up at the end of the summer, but he wasn't sure that they knew that the girls had actually developed feelings and were dating.

"I love her and I want to shout that from the rooftops. But I have no idea how to handle my mom on the subject. And I know she's dying to tell her dads but I'm afraid that they'll disapprove of me dating her."

"But you have been friends for a long time now. It's not like you haven't hung out at the Berry household millions of times."

"I know that, but I always felt like they were just waiting for me to hurt Rachel again. I don't know how to show them that I really want to be there for her forever."

"Just talk to them about her. Anybody that sees you talk about Rachel won't be able to deny that you love that girl. As for your mom, if she doesn't handle it you know you always have us to fall back on. You're strong, Quinn, and you can survive without her approval, just like you did when you were pregnant."

"Thanks, Kurt," Quinn said with a weak smile and the boy reached over and squeezed her hand lovingly.

"Hey, you helped me get Rachel out of animal sweaters before she was my college roommate. For that I will be eternally grateful." Quinn laughed at Kurt's serious face. Quinn would never admit that part of her missed Rachel's animal sweaters, but the v-neck light blue sweater Rachel had on tonight was absolutely stunning.

After dinner, they headed to a club. Their fake ID's got them through the bouncer and into the dark club. The music was loud and the dance floor crowded. Quinn followed Rachel and her friends to the back where there were some booths. Much to Quinn's dismay, Gabe was sitting there with a few other people from Rachel's class. She grabbed the cocktail waitress and ordered a round of shots, knowing she was going to need them around Gabe. A few minutes later, the waitress returned with a tray and Quinn handed her the money with a good tip and seductive smile, knowing that the girl would now make sure she was taken care of for the rest of the night. She passed out the shots and Rachel raised her eyebrows at her girlfriend. Quinn just smiled innocently as she thrust the shot into Rachel's hand.

"To the future!" She said as they held their shots up before she tossed it back, letting the liquid burn her throat on its way down. Rachel took hers too, coughing as it went down. Quinn pulled the girl in and kissed her nose before taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor. She saw Gabe's eyes on them jealously and smirked as Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and started dancing against her.

The girls danced and Quinn loved the feeling of Rachel grinding against her, their faces close together. They were yelling into one another's ears over the music and laughing and were oblivious to everything around them.

They were sweating and thirsty before they pulled themselves away from the dance floor to join Rachel's friends. Rachel slid into the booth and pulled Quinn in with her. The waitress made a beeline for Quinn for their drink orders and Quinn ordered mixed drinks for herself and Rachel. The waitress gave her a flirtatious smile before heading towards the bar.

"Quinn Fabray, you are totally eye flirting with the waitress!" exclaimed Rachel.

"Ten bucks says that we don't have to pay for this round of drinks because I can flirt with my eyes," answered Quinn with a playful smirk.

"You are ON!" said Gabe, obviously enjoying the scene playing out in front of him.

Quinn glared at the boy, her ice queen face emerging with full force. The waitress appeared again and Quinn switched back to seductive and flashed the girl a winning smile.

"This one's on me," said the waitress into Quinn's ear and winking at her as she walked away again.

"I think that means you owe me, Gabe," said Quinn with a smug look.

"Damn, your girlfriend is taking free drinks from other girls. I wonder what else she takes from them when you're not around, Rach." Quinn leaped to her feet, nearly upturning the table.

"What is your reason for being a complete dick? Are you too insecure to deal with the fact that Rachel turned you down because of me? Because even if I wasn't in the picture, you would never be good enough for her." Quinn was yelling in his face, but he didn't cower like most people did at Quinn's anger. Rachel put her hand firmly on Quinn's arm, trying to pull her back from Gabe.

"Quinn, please." Her voice softened Quinn's glare and she turned away from Gabe to face her girlfriend. "I know I'm the only one, just ignore him." Rachel turned to face Gabe.

"Don't you ever talk to my girlfriend like that again," she growled. He cowered under Rachel's stare and nodded slightly, acknowledging her threat. He got up and headed to the bar to get himself a drink, leaving his stunned friends.

Rachel and Quinn settled back in with their drinks. Gabe had found a girl at the bar and was flirting relentlessly, but kept gazing back in Rachel's direction. It was two in the morning before Kurt and the girls said goodbye to their friends and headed back to the apartment. Quinn was exhausted and leaned against Rachel as Kurt hailed them a cab. The three of them squeezed into the backseat and Kurt gave the driver the address as Rachel let her head fall onto Quinn's shoulder, snuggling into the blonde. She was snoring softly by the time they pulled up in front of the apartment building and Quinn had to shake her gently so that they could go inside.

Once they got ready for bed, they climbed into Rachel's bed and Quinn wrapped her arms around the petite diva, loving the warmth of the body against her own.

"I'm sorry about Gabe. He can be an ass," mumbled Rachel. Quinn kissed the exposed neck in front of her.

"Don't worry about him. I just can't believe he was scared of you but didn't even cower at the HBIC Quinn Fabray. That had definitely never happened." She couldn't help but giggle, remembering the look on his face when Rachel had yelled at him.

"Well, I needed to defend my girlfriend's honor. That involved showing a new side of Rachel Berry that I myself didn't even know existed," Rachel said back, rolling over to kiss Quinn. "I love you, Fabray, even though you've lost your powers." She laughed at the shocked look on Quinn's face. "I like this soft Quinnie instead of Head Cheerleader Q." She kissed the blonde again before snuggling in and falling asleep.

Three more weeks. It was all Quinn had to get through before she would be back in Lima for Thanksgiving. She had only left Rachel's arms a few short hours ago and she already missed the tiny diva. Quinn was exhausted from the weekend. Rachel had insisted on giving her a grand tour of the island of Manhattan yesterday and then had stayed up late wrapped up in one another. She hadn't welcomed Sunday and her return to Yale because it meant having to deal with another three weeks without seeing Rachel.

Quinn got back to her dorm and threw open the door to find Hayley underneath another girl on her bed.

"Shit, I'm sorry Hayls," said Quinn, clearly flustered. She averted her eyes and dropped her bags by her bed quickly. The girl on top of Hayley laughed heartily.

"Seriously, Q, sometimes you are the world's biggest prude."

"Can you two please put shirts on before we discuss what you're doing on top of my roommate, Jess?" asked Quinn, still facing away. Jess sniggered and she heard them moving around to redress.

"You can turn around now," said Jess and Quinn did slowly to find Jess with a huge smirk on her face and Hayley was blushed so deeply her cheeks were nearly purple.

"Does this have something to do with your comment at breakfast last week, Hayls?" asked Quinn, avoiding Jess as much as possible. The girl nodded her head slightly.

"Jess is trying to help me figure out my sexuality," she said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"And is today the first time this is occurring?" Quinn wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Hayley still looked mortified like she had been caught by her mother and Jess just looked smug as can be.

"All weekend, baby," answered Jess when Hayley didn't fill the silence.

"All weekend and you're not sure if you like girls yet, Hayley? God it didn't even take me a five minute kiss," Quinn said with a laugh, making Hayley look even more mortified.

"I'm going to my room while you girls have your little emotional coming out chat. Hayley, I'll hopefully see you in my bed later." With that Jess left the roommates alone.

"You do know there are girls on this campus that wouldn't just use you for their own fun, right?" asked Quinn incredulously. Jess was totally not the person you would go to with any sort of emotional confusion.

"Jess is amazing. She puts on a super tough exterior, but underneath she's just scared to be herself and we're both discovering ourselves together. I really like her, Quinn." Hayley was talking a mile a minute before she lost her nerve.

"Just please be careful, Hayley."

"We're taking it slow." Quinn laughed at that as she had walked in on them topless already. "We really are, what you saw was the farthest and we've basically hung out all weekend."

"As long as you're happy, Hayls."

"I really am. I just can't believe I spent two years dating a guy and didn't know what I was missing out on." Quinn laughed at her roommate, knowing exactly the feeling she was talking about.

**im sorry 4 bein a dick to ur gf**

Rachel just tossed her phone back down in disgust at Gabe's message. This was his attempt to make up for Friday night and Rachel didn't want anything to do with it. She turned back to her computer and opened up the folder of pictures Quinn had uploaded to it before she left that morning. Most of them were of Rachel because Quinn's face was always behind the camera, but very few were actually posed. Rachel had learned that Quinn would constantly try to catch her off guard and surprise her so she could snap the picture before Rachel had time to put on her Broadway smile. Her phone buzzed again, pulling her out of her reverie of her weekend with Quinn.

**plz just lemme make it up to u**

Rachel outwardly groaned. She didn't understand Gabe's persistence. She was finally forgiving him for the original club incident and she thought he was genuinely happy to just be her friend, but then he was so awful to Quinn.

**I have nothing to discuss with you Gabe. I will tolerate you for the sake of our group but you and I are not friends.**

She hoped that would make him stop. Gabe was quickly becoming her college version of Finn; he couldn't take a hint and thought that he was a prize that she would be lucky to have.

Rachel hadn't done any of her work all weekend, including practicing for her vocal lesson that week. It had never been like her to not practice her singing at least and she knew there was a certain blonde that was responsible for getting Rachel to loosen up on her rigid scheduling. Plus, taking Quinn all through New York City was much better than a few hours of practice could ever be.

Kurt was on the phone in the next room with Blaine, so singing was going to have to wait. Rachel instead picked up her books for her playwright class and started to work on the outline she had due that week.

**Hayley and Jess are hooking up. This is what happens when I leave for the weekend.**

Rachel laughed audibly at Quinn's text message. It wasn't a scenario she had expected, but it made perfect sense. Jess was outgoing and seemingly confident in herself and Hayley was questioning herself, so she went to a source that she figured would have all of the answers.

**Hopefully for your sake they are not screamers.**

**Rachel Berry! I hate you for planting horrible images in my head right now.**

**But that was the fun part :)**

Rachel chuckled to herself. Quinn was definitely still the president of the Celibacy Club sometimes. She was fantastic in person and worshipped Rachel's body. But Rachel was lonely in the long weeks between their short weekend visits. Rachel had tried to talk to Quinn about sexting and phone sex, but the blonde was so repressed when it came to sex that the ideas had terrified her and Rachel hadn't pushed it. However, with three more weeks until she was going to have Quinn's naked body on her own, she definitely was going to need some help with her fantasies.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**I just had to kick Hayley and Jess out of my room again. I mean seriously? Jess' roommate dropped out so she has a single but I have to keep walking in on them!**

Rachel chuckled at Quinn's latest message. She knew her girlfriend was still not used to seeing the devilish Jess all over her innocent roommate. Rachel was lying on her own bed and Kurt was out with some friends. She bit her lip and figured it was worth a shot.

**So you have the room to yourself now?**

**Yeah, why?**

**What are you wearing?**

**Rachel Berry, are you doing what I believe you are?**

**If you mean sexting you, then you would be completely correct.**

**Rach…**

**Quinn, please. I miss you so much and I could use your help. Talking to you would be a million times better than just fantasizing.**

**Can I at least call? I don't want to type all of this stuff out.**

**:)**

Rachel stripped off her clothes and waited patiently, knowing it was going to take Quinn a few minutes to get her confidence up to actually dial the number. The phone finally went off and Rachel answered in a sultry voice.

"So now will you tell me what you're wearing?"

"Rach, this is so awkward I have no idea what I'm doing."

"I'm naked, Quinn." She heard the blonde moan softly on the other end of the line.

"Yeah?" was all that Quinn could croak out.

"Oh yeah. My fingers are playing with my hard nipple and I'm already wet just thinking about you getting naked too." Rachel heard rustling as Quinn pulled off her own clothes. "I'm imagining it is your fingers that are teasing me."

"Me too, baby. Your hands are all over my nipples while your mouth sucks at my neck."

Rachel bit her lip as she imagined Quinn's porcelain skin under her own tanned fingers.

"God, I want you inside of me, Rach," said Quinn huskily into the phone.

"Not yet, baby. My fingers are teasing your hole as they run through your wet folds until they reach your clit. I start rubbing slow circles on it." Quinn moaned at Rachel's words and her fingers automatically followed the directions.

"Fuck, I'm so turned on. I want to push my finger deep inside of you. You're so wet and I put it out, closing my mouth around my dripping finger so I can taste your juices." It was Rachel's turn to moan, which caused Quinn to speed up the fingers that were rubbing her own clit.

"I climb on top of you and thrust two fingers into you. Your walls are so tight around me. You're so wet and I'm fucking you as I grind against your thigh, letting you feel how wet you're making me."

"I'm so close," said Quinn, panting.

"Come for me, baby. I want to hear you scream my name." Quinn moaned loudly and Rachel sped up her own fingers, quickly approaching her own orgasm.

"Fuck…oh, God…RACHEL!" yelled Quinn as she fell over the edge. With one more hard thrust, Rachel hit her own climax, moaning Quinn's name over and over. As the waves of pleasure subsided, she withdrew her hand and listened to Quinn's heavy breathing on the other end of the line.

"Quinn?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Thank you for trying this with me."

"If I had known how awesome it is, I would have done this a long time ago," responded Quinn with a giggle.

"I wish we could stay and pretend to cuddle too, but I really should work on my manuscript. I'll call you later to say goodnight."

"Alright, Rach. I love you."

"Love you too, Quinnie, so much."

Rachel wished she could just rollover and take a nap, but forced herself off the bed and got dressed. She took Quinn's WMHS cheerleading sweatshirt out of her drawer and pulled it over her head. It was a little baggy on her and she snuggled into it. Finn's sweatshirts had always been enormous on her and he only let her borrow them when he was trying to cover up her sexier outfits at school. It gave Rachel yet another pro to add to her mental list about why dating Quinn was the better option. Just behind the mind-blowing phone sex, of course.

Quinn rarely touched herself, though she had to admit that being away from Rachel had exponentially increased the rate of occurrence. It was like she couldn't get enough because the brunette was constantly on her mind. She had rarely felt the need to take care of herself after the long make out sessions with her boyfriends, and most of the time she could solve that problem with a cold shower instead. But just the sound of Rachel's voice made Quinn hot with desire. She really wanted to get off again just thinking about her conversation with Rachel, but glancing at the clock she realized that she only had enough time for a very quick shower before meeting up with Derek.

Derek was sitting at their usual table inside the coffee shop when Quinn arrived. They had gotten into a routine of meeting there about once a week. Most of the time they did work together and complained about their literature professor, but she had also learned a lot about the boy that sat across from her.

Quinn had been friends with Santana and Brittany for as long as she could remember. And until Rachel had become her friend senior year, Quinn had never found another friend in all of those years that she confided in. Derek had been a pleasant surprise. Quinn never really had a close guy friend growing up, opting to use them as boyfriends at some point. Puck had probably been the closest thing, but she would have never been able to talk to him the way she talked to Derek.

It had been a while since the night Quinn told Derek her long, crazy story of her life before Yale, so lately she had been working on learning about him instead. He wasn't forthcoming, but answered her questions openly when she pried to know more about him. He was a genuine, good guy and had the good fortune of brains, athleticism, and looks on top of it.

"We need to find you a girl. Now that Jess is preoccupied with corrupting my roommate, I am free as a wingman."

"Wait, step back. What is Jess doing to Hayley?"

"They're sleeping together. Hayley apparently likes Jess and we know Jess likes action so they're taking each other for a spin. I see it ending very poorly."

"That could be epically amazing or absolutely horrible. For Hayley's sake, I hope for the former." Quinn nodded in agreement. "However, onto the bigger issue. You want to be my wingman?"

"Let's face it, D-man. Guys kind of flock to me since apparently I give off very minimal lesbian vibes and I'm quite attractive. I'm also very skilled at the manipulative bitch aspect. I will make it abundantly clear that I have no interest in you and girls will want the challenge of stealing you from my grip anyway."

"Not an arrogant bone in your body, huh Fabray?"

"I just know my strengths," replied Quinn with a flirty smile. Derek raised his eyebrow, deciding if he should play Quinn's game.

"You're on. But only because I want to see you on your game. Plus, I think bitchy Quinn is itchy to escape since Rachel has turned you into a nice girl." Quinn stuck her tongue out at him playfully and he laughed lightly. "Now that you're solving the problem of my love life, maybe we should actually focus on our lit homework?"

Quinn knocked on her dorm room door before entering, not wanting to have anymore disturbing images burned into her memory. When she finally did pull the door open, it was thankfully to find Hayley alone for the first time in nearly a week.

"You managed to unglue yourself from Jess for more than five minutes?" asked Quinn, smirking at the bashful girl.

"I've been neglecting my school work with my preoccupation and my parents will kill me if my grades aren't up to par. So here I am, despite my mind being other places and not actually being able to get my work done."

"You're precious."

"I could totally make fun of how soft you get around Rachel." Quinn's smirk faltered.

"Just don't let her hurt you, Hayls. Have you guys actually discussed where everything is going yet?"

"A little bit. She doesn't like talking about feelings but she kind of eluded to the fact that she's trying to get over someone else right now and doesn't want to be unfair to me by getting too involved before she has dealt with that." Quinn felt her cheeks reddening. Hayley didn't know it was Quinn that Jess was hung up on.

"Well, hopefully she works through her shit soon. I don't want you to let yourself be strung along."

"I know you're concerned, Quinn. But you of all should know that underneath the toughness that Jess is sweet and insecure just like the rest of us."

"I do know that. I played the cold-hearted bitch role for four years of high school. My walls were solid rock and it was lonely and miserable because I wouldn't let people in that had the ability to maybe hurt me down the line. But Rachel chipped away at those walls despite me pushing her away. You can do the same for Jess, but you still need to protect your heart until the walls finally crumble." Hayley nodded slightly at her roommate, understanding the sincerity in Quinn's voice.

Quinn had less than a week left in New Haven before Thanksgiving break and would be heading to Lima for four days. But right now, it was Friday night, which meant Quinn needed to put on a sexy outfit to play Derek's unstoppable wingman. Hayley and Jess were getting ready in the room, but seemed to keep ending up on the bed making out until they noticed Quinn's loud fake coughs of annoyance again.

By ten Quinn had a Jess-approved outfit (which meant a lack of her typical baby doll dresses) and a hearty buzz. Derek met the girls and they walked down to the party together. Quinn hung onto his arm affectionately and he couldn't help but grin to have such a hot girl associated with him. Quinn's plan just might work – she was intimidating and beautiful and he was used to every girl in a room eying her up with a look of awe.

He got them drinks and they watched as Jess and Hayley turned heads with their grinding and making out on the dance floor.

"Let's get you a girl," said Quinn with an impish smile. Derek let her take his hand and lead him into the middle of the dance floor. Thankfully Quinn had alerted Rachel to tonight's plan so that if pictures showed up on Facebook, she would understand why her girlfriend was dancing all over people at the party. Derek smiled down at her and they danced closely until Quinn could feel the typical jealous eyes on her.

"There are two brunettes directly behind you checking us out," said Derek into Quinn's ear.

"Challenge accepted," she responded simply, making Derek laugh aloud at her Barney Stinson ways.

She spun them around so she could take in the girls and had to admit that Derek had taste. The one on the left would be a good fit for him and Quinn believed her to be straight. Her eyes were very much on Derek's back. The other girl was a bit shorter, probably not much taller than Rachel was. Quinn knew she would be her target. She was taking in the sight, but her eyes met Quinn's as much as they took in Derek.

Quinn held the girl's gaze, her face expressionless. The girl's brow was furrowed, obviously trying to gauge Quinn's intentions. The consistent eye contact made the girl feel like Quinn was definitely interested, but there was no flirty smile or anything to accompany it. But Quinn had played this game a million times to get what she wanted.

"Time for me to move in," said Quinn and Derek nodded before heading to get them another drink. The girl didn't break her gaze with Quinn while her friend watched Derek's retreating back. Quinn didn't approach the girl, but instead danced on the spot, never pulling her eyes away until the girl approached her instead. Quinn let the girl start dancing with her, putting her hand loosely on the girl's side. Her friend had moved onto the dance floor too and was standing awkwardly near them, clutching her red cup and glancing around the room.

"What's your name?" the girl asked into Quinn's ear. Quinn continued to keep her indifferent expression.

"You can call me Q," she answered simply, maintaining a safe distance from the brunette's grinding hips. She wasn't nearly as good of a dancer as Rachel or Jess, but Quinn couldn't help but enjoy the attention. Quinn saw Derek walking back towards them with their drinks and he handed one to Quinn and winked before turning his attention towards the free brunette. Soon the girl was grinding her hips into Derek and he gave Quinn a quick thumbs up behind the girl's head.

"Do you want to get out of here?" asked the girl dancing on her, who wrapped her arm around Quinn's neck to pull the blonde closer. Quinn realized that she hadn't even asked the girl for her name. Quinn shrugged without answering and just continued to dance, hoping she could stall the girl long enough for Derek to get out of there with her friend. Otherwise the friend would probably leave Derek to take care of her rejected buddy and Quinn will have ruined all of the hard work she had put in to this evening.

Instead, Quinn took a large swig of her beer and let the girl hang on her. She caught Derek's eye and mouthed "clinger" about the girl against her and he got the hint. Within five minutes he had put on the moves and was heading for the door with the brunette.

"What do you say, Q?" asked the girl, not having noticed her missing friend yet.

"Nah, I'm not that kind of girl," Quinn said. The girl seemed a little annoyed but nodded, obviously not able to read Quinn's face.

"I guess I'll see you around then," replied the girl with a huff and she turned to go get another drink after seeing the absence of her friend.

Quinn saw Hayley and Jess across the room dancing wildly and attracting a lot of attention from both guys and girls around them. Unable to resist the urge, Quinn strode towards them and put herself in the middle, dancing between them and laughing at the look of shock on their faces. A few boys whooped loudly in their direction and Quinn smirked at her friends as she put her arm around Hayley's waist as they danced. Jess whined in protest, but moved in closer to Quinn, essentially sandwiching the blonde in the middle.

The moans from across the room woke the blonde up. She groaned loudly at the thought that her best friends were on the verge of morning sex with her room and at the pounding headache she had. Hayley giggled, but was muffled. Quinn reached over to grab the aspirin and bottle of water that she had laid out last night before they went out and swallowed them.

"Jess, give me your keys. I'm sleeping in your bed since you guys can't control yourself." They both laughed this time and Quinn grabbed Jess' whole purse before heading down the hallway.

By late afternoon, Hayley and Jess had finally vacated the room and Derek was sitting on Quinn's bed recapping his night with her.

"Girl, you actually are the best wingman ever."

"You sound surprised. I'm offended by that implication," Quinn said with a playful smirk. Derek had left with the girl who was apparently named Jamie. Being the typical gentleman that he was, nothing too serious had happened and he got her number. And unlike every other teenage guy on the planet, he actually called her almost immediately and had made a date to have coffee with her before they left for break. He seemed to genuinely like Jamie and Quinn was happy that she had helped make it happen.

"Have you decided what you're doing about your mom when you go home?" asked Derek. Quinn had been debating for two weeks about coming out to her mom while she was home for Thanksgiving.

"I think I'm going to tell her. I don't want to hide Rachel from anybody and Rachel and I are sitting down with her dads. At least if she kicks me out again, my friends will be home to help me pick up the pieces."

"I'm proud of you, Q. It'll work out one way or another and you have your friends and you can call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Derek," she said quietly, thinking about the upcoming weekend in Lima and what was in store.

"I put the finishing touches on the PowerPoint presentation tonight. I will send you a copy so that you are not surprised by the points I expect to bring up over the course of the conversation with my dads."

"Rach, your parents are gay. How hard could it be to come out as gay to your gay parents?"

"There is so much more to it than just coming out, Quinn. My parents already know that I view sexuality as fluid so I don't think they will be surprised in my decision to date a woman. But I don't want them to just think this is just something I am doing for experience to become a better actress or anything. I tend to have overdramatic tendencies that lead them to false conclusions about my intentions."

"Got it. A huge presentation will not be overdramatic, it will be just enough drama."

"Don't you mock me, Quinn Fabray, or I will omit the slides that involve my reasoning for them not implementing an open door policy that they otherwise would."

"Point taken. I like having the door closed to your sound proof room."

"I am quite convincing, so that should not be a problem. Now, what are you going to say to your mom?"

"I'm not exactly planning it out, Rach," admitted Quinn.

"Quinn, it is important that you at least make a list of points you want to get across so that if emotions run high, you at least say what you need to."

"I'll think about it. But I'm usually better on the fly anyway. Planning just makes me more nervous than necessary. Plus if she gives me half an hour to pack again, I'd rather focus my attention on getting my belongings together rather than making sure I get all of my points in." Quinn was trying to stay lighthearted, but she knew Rachel saw right through her.

"It's going to be okay. You have me and the rest of the glee kids if anything goes wrong. I'm here for you, Quinn."

"I know, Rach. Thank you."

"Anything for you, baby."


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Sorry I didn't get this out earlier in the week like I had planned. I tore my rotator cuff so I only can take small chunks of time out of my sling to type without too much pain…**

**Chapter 29**

Quinn's plane landed in Ohio around dinnertime on Wednesday evening. She had schedule it with Rachel so that they would be getting in around the same time and the Berry men would be able to pick them both up. Quinn unloaded her plane and went to baggage claim to get her bag. Rachel's flight was a little bit later than hers, so she got her bag and headed over to the terminal where Rachel should be getting in any minute.

Rachel's dads were already at the terminal waiting. Quinn walked over and they greeted her enthusiastically with bear hugs. Only a few minutes later, Rachel came skipping through the gate and threw her arms around Quinn's neck. Quinn hugged her timidly, uncomfortable with the display of affection in front of Rachel's dads. They stole her away quickly enough, however, wanting to hug their only child that had been away for almost three months.

The month back to Lima was filled with the Berrys asking about their semesters and the girls asking about how things were back home. Rachel rested her hand on Quinn's in excitement and Quinn loved the feeling of Rachel's hand on hers that she didn't bother pulling away despite Rachel's dad Hiram glancing at them curiously.

As soon as they arrived at Rachel's house and got refreshments, Rachel set up her laptop for her presentation. Her dads groaned, knowing that they were about to get a lecture from their daughter.

"Dad, Daddy, this is important. Can you please take it seriously?" Quinn had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at Rachel's stern look and her dads nodding and settling in.

By the third slide, Rachel was still on background information and hadn't even addressed coming out officially yet.

"Honey, are you trying to tell us that you are dating Quinn?" asked Leroy Berry. Quinn's cheeks went pink at Leroy's question.

"Daddy, we are not up to that part of the presentation yet." Rachel said, stomping her foot lightly in frustration.

"Sweetheart, we don't need you to give a whole lecture to tell us that you're dating Quinn. You know we love Quinn and we just want you to be happy," Hiram replied, smiling at his daughter.

"There are other points to discuss pertaining to my relationship with Quinn," she said, realizing that she was losing the control. "I believe that because we are now in college, we should not have to implement the open door policy and that my curfew should be extended when we are visiting."

"That sounds fair. However, just because you are closing the door doesn't mean you should be taking advantage of having a soundproof bedroom while we are home all of the time." Quinn's pale skin was now bright red with embarrassment.

"Mr. and Mr. Berry, I am willing to be completely respectful of your wishes regarding my intentions with your daughter. I love Rachel and I would never do anything to take advantage of either of you or of Rachel."

"We appreciate that, Quinn. It isn't you I worry about. I know how Rachel gets when she wants something and I just want to not have to walk in on my daughter in compromising positions ever if possible."

Rachel seemed satisfied that they agreed so readily to her requests. Quinn had promised her mother that she would be home for dinner, so she thanked Rachel's fathers for picking her up and being so understanding before she and Rachel walked to the car so that she could drop Quinn off at her mom's house.

Once in the car, Rachel leaned over and pulled Quinn in for a searing kiss. Quinn was caught off guard, but quickly melted into her girlfriend's embrace. They only jumped apart by the sound of Hiram knocking on the window behind Rachel. Rachel groaned and rolled down the window.

"We just wanted to say that if you want to come here for Thanksgiving with your mom, you are more than welcome, Quinn."

"Thank you, Mr. Berry. I haven't told her about our relationship yet, so I'll take it from there."

"Well you know that you can always come here if things don't go well."

"Thank you." He winked at the girls and headed back into the house. Rachel giggled and began to pull out of the driveway.

"We have their blessing for half an hour and we're interrupting making out in the middle of the driveway," Quinn said, her cheeks blushing again.

Quinn lived pretty close by and it wasn't long before Rachel was putting the car in park in Quinn's driveway.

"Quinn, are you sure you don't want me to be there when you tell her?"

"I need to do this on my own. I'll call you in a little while to either to tell you how it went." Rachel nodded and squeezed Quinn's hand in reassurance. Quinn smiled up at her, before exiting the car and heading into her house.

Quinn's mom appeared in the foyer almost as soon as Quinn had dropped her bags next to the door.

"Quinnie!" she said in excitement before walking over to hug her daughter. Quinn tensed in her mother's grip with anxiety about the conversation she knew she had to have. "Dinner is all ready to go, why don't you wash up and I'll meet you in the dining room?" Quinn nodded slightly before dragging her bags up to her bedroom.

The room was just like she had left it a few months ago and she sighed at the formality of it. Her dorm room felt more like a home in three months than this room ever had. She wandered into her own bathroom, which was the main thing she missed from home, and washed her hands and face before heading back downstairs to join her mom.

On the table were all the fixings for tacos, which was Quinn's favorite. When her dad lived with them, dinner had been a much more elegant, formal affair, but Judy had loosened up with the good silverware and cloth napkin dinners once he was out of the picture. She allowed her mom to lead grace before picking up a shell to fill.

She knew it would be better to just get into it, rather than torture herself with all of the small talk that Judy would put her through.

"Mom, I have something I need to tell you."

"You're not dropping out of Yale, are you?" blurted out Judy immediately.

"No, definitely not."

"Oh, thank God," said Judy with a sigh of relief.

"Mom, I know I've put you through a lot and I haven't been a model daughter over the years. You have to know that I'm not doing this to hurt you or spite you. It's just who I am, it's not a decision that I made." Judy looked curiously at her daughter as Quinn paused. "I'm gay, Mom."

Judy wiped her hands on her napkin and looked down at her plate. Quinn sat there, not wanting to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Well, I must say, I wasn't expecting that. But if it's who you are, there's nothing I can do about it."

"So you're not kicking me out?"

"Heavens no, Quinn. I promised you that I would never do that again after you came back to live with me. But this is going to take me a while to process and deal with."

"I understand that and I got the names of some support groups for you in the area if you wanted to find other parents dealing with this." Quinn's mom smiled at her slightly.

"So do you have a girlfriend at Yale then?"

"Not quite at Yale. I'm dating Rachel." Judy looked taken aback.

"I thought Rachel was dating Finn."

"They broke up at the beginning of the summer when he decided to go into the army. I only started to realize my feelings for her right before we went away to school."

"Well you know I love Rachel, but I'm not ready to see you girls flaunting your relationship around me. I'm not forbidding her for being here or anything, but can you try to work with me on this until I'm more comfortable with the idea of my daughter being a lesbian?" Quinn giggled nervously.

"Of course, Mom. Thank you."

"For what, dear?"

"For not kicking me out again and for trying to deal with this. I know I haven't made things easy on you." Instead of responding, Judy stood and hugged Quinn hard, kissing her daughter's forehead. Quinn couldn't help but melt into her mother's arms, feeling for once that she was unconditionally loved.

"There's my baby mama!" exclaimed Puck as Quinn walked in his front door hand-in-hand with Rachel. She gave him a stern look, but she had trouble being annoyed at him for the nickname after not seeing him for so long.

The girls made their way into the crowded living room, being once again surrounded by their high school friends. Even the younger Glee kids were there and Quinn was excited to see them all again. After her talk with her mom, Quinn had been enthusiastic at seeing everybody and made Rachel come pick her up. Santana was sitting in an armchair with Brittany on her lap, who sprung up when she saw Quinn and Rachel enter the room.

Without warning, Brittany launched herself into Quinn's arms, who stumbled backwards at the force of the hug she found herself in. Santana sauntered over as well, a half smile creeping onto her face. Brittany moved onto Rachel and Quinn forced Santana into a tight hug.

"I know you missed me, even if you think you're too badass for that shit," whispered Quinn into Santana's ear before they pulled apart. Santana gave her finger, but laughed and the four of them settled back in the living room with the others.

Quinn accepted a beer from Puck and joined in on the conversation about this year's Glee club. Mercedes and Blaine were captains now and the team's success at Nationals actually brought in a bunch of new people, filling the places of all of the seniors. Rachel couldn't resist asking if they had found any new members with her vocal range and was astounded to hear that Harmony had transferred to McKinley. Her reasoning was based solely on the fact that two McKinley students had gotten into NYADA already and she figured it would help her get in next year. Mercedes seemed to butt heads with her regularly, as Harmony believed she was the most talented one in the group and had diva storm outs that rivaled Rachel's when she didn't get solos she believed she deserved.

Santana quickly changed the subject to New York to keep Rachel off the topic of Harmony and Glee club and instead let Rachel and Kurt gush about how amazing it is to live in the Big Apple. Quinn had to admit that she loved New York City more each time she visited, which she figured was a good thing since she planned on moving there when she finished with Yale to live with Rachel as she took Broadway by storm. If it had been anybody else, Quinn would think they were being unrealistic. But what seemed unrealistic was that it would take Rachel Berry until Quinn finished at Yale to be on Broadway.

The evening flew by with the easy conversation and full heart that Lima had brought Quinn for the past year or so. Before Beth, it was always a place she had wanted nothing more than to escape from. But between Beth and Rachel, Lima had finally become a home.

"Rach, you're going to wake up your dads," panted Quinn as Rachel moaned again.

"My walls are soundproof for a reason, Quinn. They do everything in their power to avoid hearing me." She pulled Quinn's mouth back towards her and pushed her lips into Quinn roughly, making a moan escape Quinn's own mouth.

"My mom and I are going to come here for Thanksgiving dinner," said Quinn, just remembering that she hadn't told Rachel yet.

"Seriously, baby? I'm trying to get you naked after weeks apart and you're making small talk. Judging by the reactions you are having to my advances, I can deduce that you're turned on so the fact that you are even forming coherent sentences is beyond my speculation." Even with her eyes dark with lust and wetness pooling between her thighs, Rachel could speak in full paragraphs. Quinn giggled and pulled Rachel towards the bed until they both collapsed onto it.

"I told your dads I would be respectful of their house."

"Yeah, well that wasn't your smartest move because you know I do whatever it takes to get what I want and right now I want you to shut up and fuck me." The glint in Rachel's eye was unmistakable. Quinn knew that she wouldn't stop until she was satisfied and Quinn wasn't one to deny Rachel Berry of anything that made her happy.

"That was a delicious meal. Thank you for inviting Quinnie and I over for the holiday; the big house does get quite lonely."

"It's our pleasure. And now that our little girls have finally figured out that they are made for one another, hopefully there will be many more holidays like this one," Hiram said happily. Quinn watched her mom's face fill with discomfort as she took a big sip of her wine.

"Mrs. Fabray is still adjusting to the idea of us, Dad," Rachel said softly before their relationship became a topic of conversation.

"Leroy and I did some research last night and found a PFLAG group that meets on Mondays. We're going to go on Monday if you'd like to join us," Hiram said to her with a reassuring smile. Judy looked at him before nodding mildly. Quinn broke into a smile that her mom really was trying to be supportive in this.

After dessert, Judy thanked the Berrys again before heading out. Quinn hugged her goodbye before following Rachel up to her room.

"So what are we going to do for the rest of the night?" Rachel asked, hopping onto the bed playfully.

"You haven't made a video of yourself singing in a while…" said Quinn, her voice hopeful.

"I thought that nobody watched them anyway and I'm busy focusing on my career path."

"Rachel, sweetie, your career path is singing. Wouldn't making a video of you doing just that actually have potential to help your career? Plus, when I was just a friend I got shunted to the side three times a week so you could practice without distraction and you'd make the videos while I laid here doing my homework."

"I hate when you're logical," pouted Rachel. "I only get you for a few days, I don't want to spend hours ignoring you."

"I love watching you sing and I could use a new video for the nights that I really miss you."

"Well as much as I want to ravish that beautiful body right now, I suppose I could arrange a performance for this girl I love. Any song suggestions?"

"Sunshine" replied Quinn immediately. She watched the smile creep onto Rachel's face with recognition. It was a song that Quinn had basically played on repeat since she had realized her feelings for Rachel and she had sent it to Rachel one night when she couldn't sleep. Rachel nodded and settled at her computer to listen to the original as she worked on her own arrangement.

Quinn laid on Rachel's bed watching her work. She had done this a million times in high school, working on her homework while Rachel recorded. It seemed funny to think that she never noticed how she would spend so much time just watching the diva work and not realize that she had feelings for her. It was impossible to not love Rachel when she was working so passionately.

"I think I have put together a great arrangement. Do you think I should shoot it here or on the stage in the basement?"

"Here is fine. I like you in your natural environment." Rachel agreed and set up the camera and microphone. Quinn moved to sit up and lean against Rachel's headboard out of sight of the camera.

_I was lost before,_

_Now I've found everything I'm looking for,_

_And every step I take_

_Turns everything to color, where everything was gray_

'_Cause I can say_

_You got me, I got you on my mind_

_When I see you, I'm smiling on the inside_

'_Cause everything is alright,_

_You are my sunshine, sunshine_

_Rain, rain's gone away_

_There's nothing here but blue skies every day,_

_Lucky, lucky me,_

_If only everyone could feel so weak in the knees,_

_We'd all be happy_

_You got me, I got you on my mind_

_When I see you, I'm smiling on the inside_

'_Cause everything is alright,_

_You are my sunshine, sunshine_

_Oh, you are so far from what I had,_

_Sunshine, sunshine,_

_And I never thought that I could feel this_

_You got me, I got you on my mind_

_When I see you, I'm smiling on the inside,_

'_Cause everything is alright_

_Never thought I'd feel this fine_

_You got me, I got you on my mind_

_When I see you, I'm smiling on the inside,_

'_Cause everything is alright,_

_Never thought I'd feel this fine,_

_You are my sunshine, sunshine_

_Sunshine, sunshine_

Quinn had tears in her eyes by the time Rachel finished. It was very different from Rachel's typical Broadway powerhouse songs, but she had nailed it.

"Rach, that was amazing," breathed Quinn.

"It still needs work. I was slightly off on my cue in the second verse and I think I want to adjust the ending." Rachel said as she connected the camera to her computer to watch the footage, her back still to Quinn.

Quinn knew better than to argue with Rachel about her perfectionism, so she pulled her book out of her bag and read while Rachel edited and set up for the next take.

Surprisingly, Rachel was satisfied after the third take, which Quinn believed was a new record. As soon as it was uploaded to her computer, she spun around and jumped onto the bed in front of Quinn, kneeling there in her short skirt, leaving next to nothing up to Quinn's imagination.

"Now do I get to ravish the beautiful blonde on my bed?" asked Rachel with a glint in her eye.

"Rachel, your dads are downstairs!"

"And I got us the closed door policy for a reason. My room is soundproof and I haven't gotten you in weeks!" Rachel was in full out pout mode and Quinn was having a hard time sticking to her morals on this. Rachel crawled over to straddle Quinn's hips and leaned down to kiss her forcefully. Quinn couldn't resist the feel of her girlfriend on her and wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist while allowing Rachel's insistent tongue to deepen the kiss.

A knock on the door caused Quinn to try to jump up, which made Rachel topple off of her, laughing.

"Girls?" called Hiram through the door and Quinn scrambled to her feet, straightening out her shirt. Rachel winked at her before opening the door to face her father.

"Hi, Dad. Is there something you needed our assistance for?" Her lips were red and swollen from the kiss she had just shared with Quinn.

"We just wanted to say goodnight, sweetie," said Hiram as Leroy appeared behind him. Rachel leaned into Hiram and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head before moving out of the way for Leroy to do the same.

"Can Quinn spend the night?" she asked, holding a firm stance in the doorway.

"Well…" said Hiram, his brow furrowed.

"Dad, I hardly ever get to see her!" Rachel pouted, stomping her foot lightly.

"Hiram, it can't hurt anything to let Quinn sleep here. If we say no, Rachel will probably convince her to come back and climb through her window later anyway," said Leroy calmly. Quinn's cheeks flushed scarlet, knowing that if Rachel asked her to, she would climb up the side of the house in the middle of the night.

"Fine. Goodnight, girls," said Hiram, turning away from Rachel's bedroom. They called goodnight as Rachel closed and relocked the door. Rachel turned back to Quinn, who was still blushing by the bed.

"So you'll stay here, right?" Rachel asked, smiling seductively.

"Do I really get a choice in the matter?" Quinn responded cheekily, picking up her phone from Rachel's desk. "Let me text my mom so she doesn't expect me home." Rachel squealed in delight as Quinn sent the message. "We need to actually sleep though. Don't forget that we have to meet San and B to do some Black Friday shopping around 8."

"Why do we have to go to the overcrowded mall on the busiest day of the year?" Rachel whined, pulling Quinn back towards the bed.

"It's tradition. San, B and I always go and shop, then go to B's house and pig out all afternoon. I had to pull some serious blackmailing about them sneaking off to have sex to get permission to bring you so don't back out now." The girls weren't serious shoppers, but as soon as they were old enough to go to the mall by themselves, the three of them would spend hours walking through stores and gossiping. Black Friday was just another day at the mall for the girls, but it had kind of stuck.

"Does it mean we can make out in dressing rooms?" asked Rachel, collapsing back on the bed and pulling Quinn on top of her.

"Whatever you want, baby, as long as you don't lecture anybody on the horrors of chain stores." Rachel pretended to pout and Quinn couldn't resist but to lean down and kiss the pout right off of her girlfriend's face. Rachel melted instantly and her hands found Quinn's hips.

Quinn let her body collapse onto the smaller girl, holding her weight on her arms that were next to Rachel's head as her tongue ran along Rachel's lips requesting access. Rachel obliged willingly and Quinn slipped her tongue into the brunette's mouth, running it along the roof of her mouth and causing Rachel to moan softly. The sound caused her hips to start moving, rocking softly against Rachel's thighs.

"Too. Many. Clothes." groaned Rachel in between kisses. Quinn felt much the same and quickly pulled herself up to rip her own shirt over her head before leaning down to help Rachel with hers. She leaned back to meet Rachel's lips, loving the feel of their bare stomachs against one another and let her mouth make its way down to Rachel's neck, nipping and sucking on her pulse point. The diva's hips were pushing against her from the bottom, desperate for more contact.

"Please, Quinn. More." Said Rachel, her voice raspy. It was impossible to not give into Rachel's requests and Quinn pulled herself off of Rachel so she could strip down to nothing. Rachel did the same and Quinn licked her lips at the sight of her naked girlfriend on the bed. Quinn climbed back on top of her girlfriend, letting one leg slide between Rachel's and her thigh made contact with Rachel's wet sex, causing them both to moan. Rachel's slender fingers ran up Quinn's bare stomach and let them slide upwards until they found the underside of Quinn's breast. The blonde moaned and pushed her body down into Rachel's hands, wanting more.

Rachel giggled as Quinn kissed down her neck, her tongue leaving a wet trail and Rachel let her fingertips find the hardened nipple, causing Quinn to groan and the vibration of her lips on Rachel's neck made the brunette moan as well. Rachel let her one hand play with Quinn's nipple while the other tickled down the skin until it found the wetness between Quinn's legs. Quinn moaned loudly and thrust her hips into Rachel's hand, wanting more contact. She pulled her lips further down to take Rachel's hard nipple between her lips, biting it softly before soothing it with her tongue. Both of them couldn't keep still, wanting more contact and hips slowly rocked trying to relieve the growing burn.

"Can I try something?" Rachel asked, her fingers finding Quinn's clit, making her girlfriend buck against her hand.

"God, anything you want, Rach," responded Quinn with a moan, hoping it meant having Rachel's fingers inside of her soon.

"Come here," said Rachel, pulling Quinn's hips up until she was right above Rachel's mouth. They locked eyes intensely; Quinn's were full of understanding as Rachel's hot breath met the wetness of her core, her tongue pushing the folds in order to slide in and taste Quinn's sweet sex. Quinn braced herself by gripping Rachel's headboard, her eyes still fixated on her girlfriend beneath her. Rachel's tongue was teasing her entrance and Quinn couldn't help but grind into her girlfriend's face, desperate for more. A loud moan escaped her lips when Rachel's tongue finally entered her, thrusting in and out slowly. Quinn threw her head back in ecstasy, loving the new angle. Rachel slid out of her and allowed her lips to find Quinn's clit, pulling it into her mouth and sucking gently while her tongue danced over the swollen bundle of nerves. Quinn's hips were bucking and her breathing was erratic.

"Ahh, Rachel. I'm so fucking close," moaned Quinn as Rachel's tongue sped up until it threw her over the edge. Rachel's name tumbled from the blonde's lips repeatedly as she tried to steady herself on her wobbly joints, finally giving in and collapsing onto the bed next to Rachel. "That was fucking amazing, baby," she said, her heart still racing. Rachel smiled and leaned over to kiss her girlfriend. Quinn could taste herself on Rachel's tongue and moaned again, her clit still throbbing. When she finally got control of herself, she pulled Rachel on top of her, determined to return the amazing sensation.

Twenty minutes later, Rachel's head was thrown back screaming Quinn's name in raw pleasure. Quinn did her best to hold Rachel's bucking hips to keep contact with her sex, determined to ride out Rachel's explosive orgasm. It was a couple of solid minutes before Rachel rolled off of Quinn and cuddled into her side.

"We are so doing that again," she said, kissing Quinn's cheek.

"I'm with you on that, but not tonight, baby," said Quinn softly, her fingers running through the dark hair. Rachel began to whine but Quinn leaned down to find her lips, silencing her at once, as Rachel tasted herself on Quinn. They broke apart and Quinn rolled them over as she snuggled into Rachel's petite back with her arm slung protectively over the brunette's hip. "Goodnight, Rach."

"Night, baby," Rachel murmured as they drifted off.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"What is the goal of this outing again?" asked Rachel as Quinn led her through the throngs of Black Friday shoppers in the mall.

"To have fun with friends that we haven't gotten to spend time with in three months. Do we need to have a motive larger than that?" asked Quinn, annoyed that Rachel couldn't just accept that things were sometimes simple.

"Wouldn't it be more productive to spend time with them somewhere that is not so crowded?" Rachel asked, jogging slightly to keep up with Quinn's rapid pace. Quinn sighed at her girlfriend.

"Just believe me on this, Rach. This is the fun part of having friends: you make silly traditions that might not make sense but you don't want to let them go. You're one of us now so you get to join in on our ridiculously stupid traditions." Rachel seemed to finally accept Quinn's explanation and let herself be dragged the rest of the way to their meeting spot.

Santana and Brittany were already sitting on the bench when they arrived.

"About fucking time you guys," said Santana, hardly glancing at them as she stood up.

"Be nice, Sanny," said Brittany softly, gripping the Latina's arm. Quinn saw Santana's posture soften at her girlfriend's touch.

"Fine, but I needs to get my shopping on. There are so many people to piss off and so little time." Rachel raised her eyebrows in questioning to Quinn, who just shrugged with a half-smile on her face. They followed the fiery Latina as she led the way into the first store.

By noon, Rachel had gotten wrapped up as much as the unholy trinity in the shopping escapade. It really wasn't about buying anything, but much more about people watching as middle aged women fought over shoes and moms screamed over the last Lego box in the toy store and men wrestled over lawnmowers in the department store. It really was hysterical and Rachel felt as though she had been missing out all of these years.

Finally hunger took over and the girls headed back to Brittany's house for an afternoon on the couch. Her pantry was fully stocked for the occasion and Quinn had remembered to give her a list of vegan-friendly foods for Rachel. They popped in a movie, but ended up talking through most of it. Quinn loved spending time with her oldest friends with Rachel by her side. Plus, it was the first time in years that Santana and Brittany didn't disappear to have sex, leaving her on her own in the living room.

By the time nightfall hit, Quinn and Rachel said their goodbyes with promises of seeing one another before they all headed back on Sunday. Quinn convinced Rachel to come to her house that night and the girls came through the front door giggling. Quinn tensed when she saw her mom sitting in the living room. Judy was holding a glass of wine, her eyes fixed on the news blaring from the TV.

"Hey, Mom," said Quinn timidly, entering the living room with Rachel standing behind her.

"Hi, Quinnie," her mom responded quietly, turning to look at her daughter. There was a glow in Quinn that had been there since she had realized her feelings for Rachel. She could see Quinn's disgust at the glass of wine in her hand and she put it down on the coffee table.

"You're drinking again?" Quinn asked, her voice hardly louder than a whisper.

"Nothing more than a nightcap, sweetie, I promise," Judy responded immediately. The truth was that she was lonely. The house was big and cold without her children. Even with Quinn home for the holiday, she hardly saw her daughter.

"You promised we wouldn't go back to that, Mom. You promised." Quinn's fists were clenched, her knuckles turning white. Rachel moved closer to her, wanting to touch her girlfriend but didn't know if she should in front of Judy.

"Quinn.." Rachel said quietly behind her, which helped ease the blonde's body. She led her girlfriend over to the other couch facing Judy. Quinn plopped down unhappily.

"Did you go shopping with Santana and Brittany today?" Judy asked, remembering her daughter's tradition with her friends.

"Yep," was all Quinn muttered. Rachel nudged her in the ribs. Judy was obviously trying.

"It was my first Black Friday experience. There really are some intense people out there when it comes to sales and shopping!" responded Rachel, trying to make up for Quinn's lack of words.

"That sounds entertaining. I must say I've missed you girls around here. It's been so quiet since you all went to college." It was impossible to miss the sadness in Judy's voice. Quinn couldn't help but feel bad for her mom.

"We'll be home in three more weeks for winter break, Mom." Quinn said quietly.

"I'm looking forward to it. Maybe we could take a weekend trip together or something when you're home, Quinnie. Frannie has been talking about having us visit."

"No offense, but I don't really care about seeing Frannie. She made it clear that she agreed with Dad throwing me out." Judy's hand twitched towards her wine glass but pulled away. It wasn't missed by Quinn, whose face showed annoyance and pride at the same time towards her mom.

"Well we could do something else."

"Sounds good, Mom. We're going to go up to my room now if that's okay," Quinn said, knowing she was going to take Rachel upstairs whether or not her mom said it was okay. Judy nodded slowly.

"Am I supposed to implement an open door rule or something?" Judy asked, directing it towards Rachel instead of her daughter.

"My fathers and I have agreed that because both of us are now technically adults that an open door is not necessary, but it is your home and your decision to make, Judy." Judy contemplated for a moment, an amused smile on her lips.

"Just please behave girls. And Rachel, if you sleep here make sure you let your fathers know so they don't worry."

"I will, Judy. We'll be down early for breakfast if I can drag this one out of bed." Judy laughed lightly and Quinn scowled at her girlfriend as they walked out of the living room.

Quinn closed the door behind them as they made their way into her bedroom. Her lips found Rachel's immediately, but Rachel didn't return her passion. She pushed Quinn away softly, leaving the blonde staring at her incredulously.

"What's the matter, Rachel?" Quinn asked, hurt at being turned down.

"We need to talk, Quinnie. Could you not see the hurt in your mom's face?"

"Yeah, well she should have known that going back on her promise to quit drinking would mean losing me," Quinn said defensively.

"She wouldn't be having a drink if she wasn't upset. And think about it, Quinn. She wasn't drunk. I saw the bottle on the counter and it was her first glass. She's an adult and if she wants to have a glass of wine at night she has that right, especially because her daughter isn't even around."

"She was an alcoholic, Rachel! So no, she can't just have one drink. You didn't grow up with her. My memories all involve her with a glass in her hand and ice cubes clinking against the glass!"

"She stopped drinking when you moved back in and your father left because she was finally happy again. But now you're gone and she's struggling to be happy. Two days ago, her youngest daughter came out as a lesbian. Your sister has little to no contact with her. Your mom is hurting and she needs you, Quinn."

"What am I supposed to do? Drop out of Yale and come home to coddle my mother? This is ridiculous." Quinn was now pacing her room angrily.

"Of course not. She wants what is best for you and will put herself completely on the back burner as long as you are happy. I think she proved that the other night when you told her about our relationship. She's struggling, but she's doing everything she can to show her support for our love. But you need to reciprocate. You need to show her that she means something to you."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

"First of all, you need to spend some real quality time with her tomorrow. Without me." Quinn's eyes got wide at Rachel's demand.

"Rach, I hardly get to see you as it is and we go back in two days!"

"You see me a lot more than you see her. I'll come over after dinner, I promise. But secondly, you will go visit your sister with your mom over winter break because you all need it. You loved and worshipped your sister and you should try to bridge that gap again. Plus it would mean the world to your mom to have both of her daughters back, even for a few days." Quinn stopped pacing and sat down on the bed next to Rachel.

"You really are the best part of me, you know that?" Quinn said quietly.

"While I know that was a rhetorical question, I will tell you that I know that, but only because you're also the best part of me." With that, words were forgotten as Rachel gave Quinn the kiss she had previously denied the blonde.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Good morning, Judy!" chirped an excited Rachel from the kitchen as the older blonde entered the room.

"Good morning, Rachel. My, I forgot what it was like to have a morning person in the house!" she added with a laugh. Quinn was slouched on the bar stool, facing away from her and obviously not enthusiastic to be awake so early on a Saturday. Rachel grabbed the coffee pot and poured Quinn a cup, setting it hastily in front of her before turning back to the bacon and eggs on the stove.

"Morning, sweetie," said Judy, getting herself a mug of coffee.

"Morning," grumbled Quinn as her mom ran her fingers through Quinn's messy blonde hair.

"Do you girls have plans for today?" asked Judy as she settled onto the stool next to Quinn.

"I'm having a family day with my dads and Quinn was hoping that you two could do the same once she stops being so grumpy. Isn't that right, Quinn?"

"Right," said Quinn, finally lifting her steaming mug and getting her first gulp of caffeine into her bloodstream. Rachel had kept her up half the night talking and kissing, yet still expected her to be a bundle of energy come sunrise. "I thought maybe we could check out that new Mexican place that we passed right outside of town on our drive home from the airport," added Quinn when Rachel stared her down due to her lack of enthusiasm.

"That would be lovely, Quinnie," said Judy, smiling at her teenage daughter. Quinn returned it with a half smile. I'll give you girls some time before you part and we'll leave around 11, Quinn?" Quinn nodded her agreement and let her mother kiss her forehead before she left the room.

"She's so excited, Quinn," said Rachel knowingly as she put a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her girlfriend. Quinn smiled thankfully at her girlfriend's gesture. Rachel despised cooking meat, but she knew that bacon was Quinn's one big weakness. She carried her bowl of fruit over and sat down next to Quinn. They ate breakfast in silence, their feet brushing against one another.

"I don't want to leave you all day," said Quinn as she finished off her coffee, finally feeling awake.

"It's only a few hours. I'll see you after dinner and I'll spend the night again as long as you come to my house for breakfast. My dads want to see you again before we go back."

"It's a deal. I love you, Rach." Quinn leaned over to catch her girlfriend's lips tenderly.

"Quinn Fabray! You are touching me with lips that just consumed that disgusting animal!" squealed Rachel and she ran upstairs to brush her teeth before Quinn could come near her again. Quinn chuckled at her girlfriend before following her upstairs to get ready for a day with her mom.

**Why did I have to hang out with my mom instead of you all day again?**

**Quinn Fabray you are not texting me all day while you are with your mom. I love you and I will see you around 8. Have a lovely day :)**

Quinn groaned and returned her cell phone to her purse, knowing Rachel Berry wasn't going to budge on this. Instead she turned back to her mom who was browsing a row of cookbooks in the bookstore. Quinn wandered over the fiction section, running her fingers along the bindings of the novels. She remembered the lonely months when she was pregnant with Beth that she spent devouring books, getting lost in the characters' lives to avoid her own.

"Quinnie?" Judy called from a few stacks over. Quinn tore herself away from the shelf to meet her mother. Judy had a few books in her hands and Quinn followed her up to the register to buy them. Quinn's stomach was growling hungrily now, the bacon from breakfast long forgotten. Judy seemed to understand because as soon as they were back in the car she was steering towards the restaurant Quinn had mentioned earlier.

Lunch was relatively pleasant. Quinn had to admit that this afternoon wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it was going to. She even got up the courage to tell her mom that she wouldn't mind visiting Frannie with her over break and Judy was ecstatic at the prospect of having her girls around again.

After lunch, they headed to the grocery store to get supplies to make dinner later. Quinn had flipped through the cookbooks her mom had bought and selected a few dishes for them to try together that night. They returned home and stowed their purchases before settling on the couch to watch Friends reruns until it was time to prepare dinner. They co-existed in the kitchen well, working together to make dinner. Quinn had loved cooking, but had spent most of her teenage years having dinner made by their family cook or by herself after her dad had left. She hadn't cooked with Judy since she was a little girl and she loved every minute of it, finding herself bursting out with song as she twirled around.

"You seem so happy, Quinnie," said Judy as they settled down at the dining room table to eat.

"I really am, mom." Quinn meant it completely. Even being back in this house that was full of bad memories of her childhood now made her happy. Gone were the days that Russell ruled over them, telling them what to do and how to think. Judy and Quinn had made a new life for themselves and it was actually becoming a home.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

There was a tapping on Quinn's bedroom door and she called for the person to enter, not lifting her eyes from her sketchbook. Rachel slipped through the door and shut it quietly behind her, taking in the sight of Quinn sitting on her bed, the sketchpad balanced on her knees and her glasses propped on the bridge of her nose.

"Hey, sweetie," Rachel said quietly as she walked towards the bed. Quinn smiled and looked up, letting the sketchpad fall onto the bed next to her.

"Hey, you," Quinn responded, sliding over to make room for Rachel.

"Have I mentioned how incredibly sexy you look when you wear your glasses?" asked Rachel, leaning in to kiss Quinn lightly in greeting.

"I doubt sexy is the right word. Giant dork would be more fitting," Quinn mumbled under her breath. She rarely wore her glasses around people, being reminded of her horrible days before Quinn Fabray, HBIC was born.

"Well if you're a dork, you are most definitely the most beautiful dork I have ever seen." Quinn's cheeks turned rosy at Rachel's compliment and the brunette climbed into her lap. "What were you drawing?" Rachel asked curiously, glancing towards Quinn's abandoned sketchbook. Quinn blushed again.

"You," she answered simply, picking up the book and handing it to Rachel. Clipped to the corner was a photograph of Rachel from Quinn's first visit to New York, the brunette's hair blowing in the wind and a half smile creeping across her face.

Quinn watched Rachel take in her drawing. It wasn't done. She hadn't done any shading yet and she had just hardly finished the facial details.

"Quinn, this is amazing. I knew you drew as a hobby, but I never realized how incredibly talented you are," Rachel breathed.

"Yeah, well my parents didn't really find the arts an acceptable path for me. They forced Frannie and I to take piano lessons because knowing classical piano was supposed to help us academically, but my dad would never pay for art classes or singing lessons."

"You should change your minor to art, Quinn. Between photography and drawing, you really have a talent and you have an opportunity to pursue it now without your parents' influence bringing you down." Quinn smiled at her girlfriend. Rachel was the only person that ever truly believed in Quinn. It's what had begun their friendship. Rachel was convinced that Quinn would get out of Lima – that she was better than this pathetic town despite all of her teenage mistakes.

"Maybe I will," replied Quinn quietly. Rachel put the sketchpad on Quinn's nightstand before meeting her girlfriend's lips again, filling Quinn with hope and passion.

It was the last night they'd have together until winter break. Quinn couldn't be happier to be cuddled up on her bed with Rachel, talking about their hopes and dreams. Anybody that knew Rachel Berry knew that she wanted to be on Broadway, that she was born to be there. But Quinn was learning about a Rachel that the rest of the world didn't get to see. Rachel wanted to graduate from college. She was a vegan and wanted to use her fame to help organizations like PETA.

Quinn had a hard time letting her walls down, but Rachel was pulling them down, brick by brick. The one topic that Quinn had never really discussed with Rachel was Beth. Everybody tiptoed around it with Quinn, never wanting to upset her. Santana was the one person that Quinn ever talked about it with and that was very rare. She had been there when Quinn contemplated abortion and held her through the major breakdown that followed. Their friendship dwindled a little when Quinn got kicked off of the Cheerios, but in the end, it was Santana that was there the summer after Beth was born, stroking her hair when the blonde spent days not getting out of bed, crying until she had no more tears. But they didn't really talk about it.

"You're thinking about Beth, aren't you?" asked Rachel quietly. Rachel knew Quinn better than Quinn gave her credit for.

"I think about her all the time," Quinn said softly. "Do you think she'll forgive me for giving her up?"

"She is growing up knowing that you did it for her to have the best life that she could. You're not Shelby, babe. You love her and I know you'll love her no matter how old she gets. When she is ready to know you, I know you'll be there in any way she needs you." Rachel spoke with such certainty. Of course she would understand; she was an adopted child herself.

"You really think she'll want to know me someday?" asked Quinn, her mood lifted.

"Definitely. I know Shelby has allowed you to see her a little bit and that she sends you updates, but Beth will hit an age where she personally wants to know the people that brought her into the world. I know I did. I love my dads so much, but I was so curious about knowing my mom. When Beth reaches that point, I know you'll be there for her in a way Shelby never was for me." Quinn didn't know it was possible, but letting Rachel in about her insecurities around Beth made Quinn love her girlfriend even more.

They snuggled under the blankets; Rachel's head on Quinn's chest and Quinn ran her fingers through the silky dark hair.

"Thanks for seeing the best in me, Rachel," she mumbled.

"I just hope one day you'll see it too, baby," said Rachel, wrapping her arms around Quinn's waist. "You have so much to offer the world." A tear slid out of the corner of Quinn's eye and she hugged Rachel tighter, wishing that tomorrow they wouldn't have to separate again.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Sorry about the longer delay. I can only write in small chunks with my arm needing to be in a sling most of the time and it's killing me. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews :****r**

**Chapter 31**

Rachel was up early the next morning and took in the sight of the sleeping blonde next to her. There was no denying that Quinn Fabray was beautiful. Her face was clean of makeup and her hair was tousled from sleeping on it, but Rachel didn't think she had ever seen a more beautiful person. They only had an hour until they were supposed to meet her dads for breakfast but Rachel didn't want to wake the sleeping girl. She snuggled back against the warm body and smiled when Quinn's arm tightened around her waist, pulling her even closer. It was these types of moments that she missed the most when they were apart.

Twenty minutes later, Rachel rolled over and peppered Quinn's face with soft kisses, effectively waking her up. Quinn sighed with content as her eyes fluttered open to find Rachel tucked snugly in her arms.

"Morning, baby," she said sleepily, giving Rachel a chaste kiss and breathing in the floral scent that always accompanied Rachel.

"Good morning! I regret to say that I let you sleep longer than I should have. You need to shower and get ready so we can go meet my dads." Quinn groaned softly, wishing she could spend the day in bed with Rachel instead of heading back to Yale that afternoon.

With one more kiss, Quinn climbed out of bed and headed towards her bathroom, stripping as she went. She could feel Rachel's eyes on her as she slid her panties down her toned legs and started to turn into the bathroom. Turning to face Rachel, she smirked at her girlfriend's gaping mouth.

"Are you joining me or what?" asked Quinn and Rachel stumbled as she leaped out of bed. Quinn laughed and entered the bathroom to start the shower. Rachel scrambled to discard her own clothes before following Quinn. Her girlfriend was already behind the curtain and Rachel could see her silhouette. She took in the sight very briefly before tearing back the curtain and joining her.

Quinn's lips met her own as soon as Rachel joined her, the hot water cascading down her back heating her up even more. Rachel groaned at the feeling of Quinn's slick body pressed against her and wrapped her arms around the blonde's slender waist. Quinn's hands were wandering up, tickling Rachel's ribcage before firm fingers rolled over the hardened nipples protruding on Rachel's chest. Rachel moaned at the sensation, tossing her head back and leaving Quinn with a large expanse of exposed neck. Quinn didn't let it go waste as she leaned down to run her tongue along the sensitive spot under Rachel's jaw line and earning her another moan from the brunette. Rachel's hands wandered down to grasp Quinn's tight ass as the blonde continued her assault on her neck. Rachel's moans grew more persistent under the teasing and pleasure that Quinn's fingers and mouth were giving her.

"I need more, baby," she managed to breathe and Quinn didn't miss a beat as she slid a hand down Rachel's abdomen and thrusting two fingers into her dripping wet hole. Rachel screamed out at the sensation and gripped Quinn tightly as the blonde fucked her with her fingers. Quinn's thumb was hitting her clit on every thrust while her fingers curled inside to hit the perfect spot on her inner wall.

"Fuck...baby, that feels...fuck...so good..." Rachel felt the quickly building pressure in her abdomen and knew she was moments away from explosion. Quinn felt it too and lifted Rachel up, letting the small girl wrap her legs around her waist as she pushed her against the wall and thrust her fingers frantically into Rachel's pussy. "Don't stop...fuck...oh, Quinn!" screamed Rachel as her orgasm took over, her fingernails clawing at Quinn's back.

"Damn, you're so sexy when you come," breathed Quinn in her ear, her fingers still thrusting and causing Rachel to go over the edge for a second time. When she came down from her orgasm, Quinn gently placed her feet back down on the shower floor before kissing her passionately.

"My turn," said Rachel in a raspy voice before two fingers into Quinn, causing the blonde girl to moan loudly and bite her shoulder. Rachel wrapped her other arm around Quinn's waist to keep the girl steady as she thrust into her. Quinn's juices were already running down Rachel's hand and her erratic breathing told Rachel that the girl was already on the edge. She circled Quinn's swollen clit with her thumb in a fast, steady motion and within a minute Quinn was screaming her name.

Quinn's legs felt like jelly and she leaned against the wall of the shower while she caught her breath. She vaguely felt Rachel dragging the soapy loofah over her chest and down her stomach as she came to her senses. She opened her eyes to see her girlfriend soaped up and doing the same to her, now working her way down Quinn's toned legs.

"We're way behind schedule," said Rachel, back to her business tone. Quinn groaned at her as she grabbed her shampoo bottle from the shelf and began to lather it into her hair, her eyes not straying from Rachel's body in front of her. As soon as the conditioner was rinsed from her hair, Rachel was turning off the shower and passing her a towel, obviously in a hurry to meet her dads.

They dressed quickly and yelled a quick goodbye to Judy as they headed out the door. Quinn followed Rachel in her mom's car and they pulled into the Berry's driveway less than ten minutes later. Rachel gripped Quinn's hand as they walked into her house and were immediately overcome by the delicious scent of breakfast wafting through the house.

"I think this is the first time in 18 years that you have been late for Sunday morning Berry brunch," teased Leroy as the girls entered the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," said Rachel, walking over to kiss the Berry men hello. Quinn's cheeks just flushed with the memory of their shower and the main reason as to why they were late for breakfast.

Rachel was the only vegan in the house, so the table was full of her vegan favorites, but Quinn was enticed by the pile of bacon and the chocolate chip pancakes that Hiram put down in front of her. They chatted animatedly and Rachel wished today didn't have to end. But as soon as breakfast was cleared away, Quinn thanked her fathers and kissed her goodbye. She had to stop and see Santana and Brittany and pack up before Rachel and her dads picked her up to go back to the airport that afternoon.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn pulled into Santana's expansive driveway. Despite all of her talk of Lima Heights Adjacent, Santana was probably the only person in Lima with a nicer house than Quinn. The brick mansion was massive and Quinn let herself in the front door, as was tradition at the Lopez house. She greeted Mrs. Lopez who was sitting in the breakfast nook sipping her coffee and reading the newspaper before thundering up the stairs to Santana's room. She knocked loudly before entering to keep from adding the images she already had of her two best friends in compromising positions. She heard Santana grunt in annoyance and took that as her cue to enter the room.

Santana was pulling an old Cheerio t-shirt over her head, but Brittany was still naked from the waist up. Quinn quickly turned her gaze to the carpet, her cheeks burning in embarrassment.

"Q, you've seen much more of B after every Cheerios practice. Stop being such a prissy prude," grumbled Santana as she rolled out of bed and tossed Brittany a shirt, which the blonde took her time putting on.

"When do you guys fly back?" asked Quinn, finally lifting her eyes back to her friends after being assured that everybody was decent.

"Not until late afternoon. We all know that I'm not a morning person," answered Santana, pulling her hair up into a messy ponytail.

"Isn't that the truth?" laughed Quinn, remembering how many awful morning Cheerio practices she had to endure with a cranky Santana.

"You and Berry are heading out soon I assume?" asked Santana, her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth as she stood in the doorway to her private bathroom.

"Yeah, unfortunately. I'm not looking forward to another month without her."

"I don't think I could go a month without Sanny's sweet lady kisses," replied Brittany.

"It's not all about that, B. I love her." Santana fake gagged behind Brittany's back and Quinn gave her the finger.

"Aww, Quinn, I knew you loved the ladies." Brittany wrapped her arms around Quinn tightly and the shorter blonde tapped her lighting on the shoulder until she was released.

"Thanks, B. I need to get home to pack up, but I wanted to say goodbye before I left. You'll be home for the holidays right?"

"And miss hanging out with you and the hobbit being all sappy? How could we possibly say no to that?" Santana said with a smirk. She bumped fists with Quinn and pulled her into a quick half hug, not letting it get too mushy. Quinn smiled and they said their goodbyes before she headed back out of the Lopez house.

Rachel would have never let Quinn pack so sloppily, but she had wasted too much time with breakfast and seeing her friends that she had no choice if she was going to be ready when the Berrys picked her up for the airport.

"Quinnie sweetie, are you almost ready?" called Judy up the stairs.

"I'll be down in a minute!" yelled Quinn, zippering her suitcase with some effort and dragging her bags downstairs to join her mom. Judy was sitting in the living room staring blankly at the wall. When she heard Quinn enter the room, she turned, her face lighting up.

"Are you sure Yale needs you back?" she asked quietly when Quinn sat down next to her and she pulled her youngest daughter into a hug and stroked her hair.

"Maybe not, but they already took our money so I might as well show them who Quinn Fabray is," said Quinn lightheartedly.

"Good plan, sweetie. Classes are still going well then?" Judy asked. Quinn nodded immediately.

"My grades are excellent. But, Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you be disappointed in me if I minored in art and photography? I am still going to major in English, but I want to do something that I really love." Quinn's palms were sweaty, waiting for the inevitable tone of disappointment she had learned to expect from her parents.

"This is really what you want?"

"Yeah, it really is. I never really considered it, but Rachel has opened my eyes to a lot of things. Particularly that I have a talent beyond a silly hobby and I love my photography class this semester and I know it's not necessarily a career path, but it's something I could do while still working towards a career and maybe I can pursue something that incorporates of my interests." Quinn was rambling in a true Rachel Berry manner.

"I want you to be happy, Quinnie. I'm glad you're not being senseless and are keeping your major but I don't see why you shouldn't pursue art on the side as well as long as you keep your grades up," said Judy genuinely. She kissed Quinn's forehead and tucked her hair behind her ears gently with a smile.

The doorbell rang and Quinn jumped up to her feet to greet her girlfriend. Rachel was standing on the front porch in dark skinny jeans and gray hoodie that said WMHS Cheerios in red block writing.

"When did you steal that sweatshirt?" asked Quinn, loving the sight of her girlfriend in her clothes. She now understood why boys never minded giving her their letterman jacket; it was like a walking advertisement that Rachel belonged to her.

"I don't give away my secrets, Fabray," replied Rachel casually, breezing past her into the house. Judy had walked into the foyer and Rachel was hugging her enthusiastically, leaving Quinn at the door, shaking her head lightly.

"I'm sorry to say goodbye and run, Judy, but we need to get to the airport," said Rachel quickly. Judy nodded in understanding and hugged the brunette again, before picking up Quinn's suitcase and walking the girls back to the car where the Berry men were still sitting. They rolled down the window to chat with Judy for a minute while the girls loaded Quinn's bags into the trunk. Quinn sauntered back around the side to her mother, who wrapped her in an affectionate hug and kissed her forehead.

"Finish the semester strong, baby girl. I'll see you in a few weeks."

"I will, Mom," said Quinn, feeling like she really was an object of pride rather than disappointment for once. She gave her mom one more squeeze before climbing into the backseat next to Rachel and waving as they backed out of the driveway.

Two hours later, Quinn was standing in her terminal with Rachel in her arms. They were calling her flight and she knew she needed to let Rachel go so she could get to her own terminal, but Quinn wasn't good with goodbyes, especially when it came to her little diva.

"Just under a month, baby. Then we have five glorious weeks together."

"I know," pouted Quinn, kissing Rachel's hair.

"Baby, you have to board your plane," said Rachel, pulling her face away from where it was nestled in Quinn's neck. She stretched upwards to meet the blonde's waiting lips. They shared one last kiss before Rachel pulled away. Quinn turned to walk towards the attendant checking tickets and Rachel slapped her lightly on the ass, making her squeal and jump. She smiled and waved as silent tears ran down her cheeks. With one more glance over her shoulder she took in the brunette before she disappeared from view.

The flight to Connecticut was a short and easy one and Quinn was on land before she knew it. She should have been working on her homework, but she spent the whole trip with Rachel's voice pouring into her ears from her iPod. Rachel had even managed to transfer a copy of the Sunshine video to her iPod before she left and Quinn watched it a handful of times as she flew towards the east coast.

As soon as she was on the ground she sent Rachel a quick text to tell her that she had landed safely and headed to baggage claim. By the time she got back to campus around dinnertime, she was already exhausted. She flung the door to her dorm room open and dragged her bags in, collapsing on her bed immediately. It took a moment to notice the quiet sobs coming from across the room.

"Hayls?" asked Quinn quietly. She couldn't actually see her roommate, but there was a Hayley-sized lump under the comforter. The girl did not acknowledge Quinn, but her sobs were getting a little louder. Quinn walked over and pulled the comforter down, finding Hayley curled into fetal position, her eyes red from crying. "What's wrong, Hayl?"

"She…doesn't…care…about…me" Hayley choked out in between sobs. Quinn laid down and cuddled into her crying roommate.

"Are you talking about Jess? Hayley, calm down and tell me what happened," Quinn said softly. Hayley's sobs slowly receded and she sat up to blow her nose and leaned into Quinn.

"She didn't talk to me the whole time we were home, Quinn. I got maybe five texts in five days. It's like I mean nothing to her," Hayley said, her voice now sounding angry as well. Quinn didn't know what to say. She never really had friends that needed soothing besides Rachel. She stroked Hayley's head that was resting on her shoulder as she thought.

"Did you guys talk about where your relationship stands at all?" Quinn asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Jess doesn't leave much room for talking." Hayley said quietly. Quinn knew that was probably the truth.

"Hayley, you need to talk to her."

"What am I going to say? Hey, remember me? I'm the girl you fucked for a couple of weeks that you didn't bother to talk to the whole time we were apart." The bite in Hayley's words was strong. "I'm not forcing her to talk to me when she obviously can't be bothered."

With that, Jess burst through the door with a big smile on her face.

"There are my two favorite girls!" she said happily, looking at the roommates huddled on Hayley's bed. Her smile faltered when she saw Hayley's red eyes and the glare she was receiving from both girls.

"I'll leave you to it," said Quinn quickly, hugging Hayley's shoulders quickly before grabbing her keys and phone and leaving the room.

As soon as she was outside she realized that she hadn't grabbed a jacket and it had gotten cold. She called Derek to see if she could hang out there until Jess and Hayley figured out their problems. He picked up on the second ring and agreed.

In ten minutes she was sitting on his bed with a guitar in her lap, his hand on hers as he helped set her fingers correctly on the fret. She had a flashback of being in a similar position with Sam during her junior year for their duet project and laughed at how much had changed since then.

Derek cocked an eyebrow at her little outburst and she told him the story as she tried to strum with a pretty bad result. He reset her fingers and pressed down on them, pinning the strings hard as she strummed again. It sounded much better. Once she had mastered the few simple chords, Derek took his hand away and picked up the other guitar sitting in the corner of his room and settled back down next to her.

"You ready, superstar?" he asked with a playful smirk and she nodded, lining up her fingers on the strings again, the pick poised in her right hand. He counted off at a slow tempo and began playing, Quinn strumming on the beats as he continued to count, fumbling to switch between the chords.

Once she got the rhythm down, Derek counted off again softly and Quinn came in with the lyrics.

_Our song is the slamming screen door_

_Sneaking out late, tapping on your window_

_When we're on the phone and you talk real slow_

'_Cause it's late and your momma don't know_

_Our song is the way you laugh_

_The first date man, I didn't kiss her and I should have_

_And when I got home, 'fore I said amen_

_Asking God if He could play it again._

She strummed wildly and starting laughing, letting her hands fall away from the guitar. Derek was smiling at her sweetly.

"You have a great voice, Quinn," he said.

"Thanks. Rachel used to tell me that I am pitchy sometimes, but she also has the best ear I've ever heard so she's probably right," Quinn said with a laugh.

"She's a spitfire, that girl of yours," replied Derek. He began to play again and this time she just listened, trying to place the song. It only took a few chords for Quinn to recognize it and she couldn't help but sing along with his guitar.

_Like a Saturday night I'll be gone_

_Like a Saturday night I'll be gone_

_Before you knew that I was there_

_So you wrote it down_

_I'm supposed to care_

_Even though it's never there_

_Sorry if I'm not prepared_

_Is it hard to see the things you substitute_

_For me and all my thoughts of you_

_It's eating me alive to leave you_

_Maybe it's childish and maybe it's wrong_

_But so is your blank stare in lieu of this song_

_Maybe it's childish and maybe it's wrong_

_Don't wanna be, don't wanna be wrong_

_You're leaving me, you're leaving me in lieu of this song_

_Don't wanna be, don't wanna be wrong_

_You're leaving me, you're leaving me in lieu of this song_

_I'm breathing in your skin tonight_

_Quiet is my loudest cry_

_Wouldn't wanna wake the eyes that make me melt inside_

_And if it's healthier to leave you be,_

_May a sickness come and set me free_

_Kill me while I still believe that you were meant for me_

_I'm finding my own words, my own little stage_

_My own epic drama, my own scripted page_

_I'll send you the rough draft, I'll seal it with tears_

_Maybe you'll read it and I'll reappear_

_From the start it was shaky and the characters rash_

_A nice setting for heartache where emotions come last_

_All I have deep inside to overcome this desire_

_Of friendly intentions and fair-weather smiles_

He cut the song off a little early when Quinn's voice faded away.

"For a happy guy, that's a pretty depressing song about regret. I mean I know I went through my angsty pink hair stage, what's your excuse?" Quinn asked. Derek contemplated for a moment before responding.

"I ran into my ex when I was home. It was a messy breakup, but she was the first girl I ever loved and she broke my heart for further her own popularity. I guess seeing her just brought bad some of the bad feelings." He was looking at his feet as he tapped them on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Derek. That had to suck and I know there's a handful of guys in Lima that probably feel the same way about me as you do about your ex. I was such a jerk." Quinn couldn't help but think about the way Finn looked at her when he found out Puck was the dad and all of the ways she manipulated guys to play her puppets so that she could better her chances of winning prom queen.

"Yeah, I just didn't think I'd run into her. She graduated a year ahead of me and had gone to West Virginia. Most of our school went to school close by in North Carolina so for her to leave the state was a big deal and she didn't come home for the summer or anything. But it's just the past. It just gave me more reason to really give this thing with Jamie a shot." His deep smile had returned and he put his guitar back on the stand.

"I'm happy for you, Derek," she said earnestly. He hugged her gently.

"Well it's all because of your wingman skills, you stud," he joked. "C'mon I'll walk you back to your dorm." He tossed her one of his lacrosse sweatshirts and they headed out into the cold.

At her door, she shrugged it off and handed it back to him with a quick thank you and a hug.

"Thanks for a fun night away from World War III," she said.

"No prob, it was a lot of fun. I'll see you in class on Tuesday." He grinned and gave a little wave over his shoulder as he turned and walked away.

_Alright, deep breath Fabray. Who knows what kind of mess you are walking into but you can pull the HBIC card if you need and put them in their places._

Quinn knocked tentatively on the door, but nobody answered so she opened it slowly. Hayley was sitting on her bed with her headphones in, a textbook in her lap. She looked up when she saw Quinn and pulled the ear buds out, turning to her roommate.

"How did it go?" asked Quinn nervously. She thought Hayley might be mad for her bailing on her earlier.

"Okay, I guess. She realized I was pissed at least and I'm sure we'll see some groveling over the next couple of days. I told her I wanted to take a step back until we could both sit down and talk about where we saw all of this going and we know that Jess doesn't know how to survive without sex, so I guess we'll see if she actually has feelings for me. If not, I move on and hopefully we can fix our friendship." Quinn nodded, taking in everything her roommate had told her.

"Just protect your heart until you're sure, Hayley. Jess is a really great girl, but she's just like my friend Santana. It's easier to push people away and hurt them than admit true feelings and make yourself vulnerable and Jess has that habit. Give her a chance, but make her earn it."

"Thanks, Quinn." Quinn smiled before settling down on her own bed and pulling her laptop out of her bag.

When she opened her gchat, she saw that Jess was online and quickly sent her a message.

_Q: You're seriously an idiot, Jess._

_J: Thanks asshole. I already know that._

_Q: Just wanted to make sure. And you know I love you, but if I come back to a sobbing Hayley again because of you, I will kick your ass._

_J: And I'll deserve it. I need to stop running away from the fact that she's actually a really cool chick and just admit that maybe I could actually settle down._

_Q: Well then get your shit together. That girl deserves to be wooed and no, I'm not helping you._

_J: You fucking suck. Maybe I'll ask Rachel, she's romantic and sappy and shit._

_Q: Help from Rachel to fix a screw up involving sitting through an impossibly boring lecture, usually accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation. You might want to rethink your options._

_J: I take it you have sat through your fair share of them?_

_Q: 45 slides on why bullying is an unacceptable act for me to indulge in and suggestions for activities that would be better suited for my misplaced anger was my first of many and was mandatory for me if I wanted to be her friend._

_J: Damn, you were whipped before you ever tapped that._

_Q: Apparently so. Just don't fuck this up, Jess. Hayley is good for you._

_J: I know. Thanks Q._

_Q: Don't mention it._

Quinn signed off and placed her laptop on her desk. She was absolutely

exhausted and went through her nightly routine before slipping under her covers and texting Rachel to say goodnight. Less than a month and she would be back in Rachel's arms for five glorious weeks. Now she just needed to survive that month.

**Songs used:**

**Taylor Swift – Our Song**

**Yellowcard – Rough Draft**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"C'mon, Quinn. You know I wouldn't beg if I didn't really need your help." Jess and Quinn were sitting in the brunette's dorm room on Friday night.

"I already told you that you need to figure this out on your own. I'm not helping you." Quinn wanted the girls to figure their shit out more than anything, but Jess needed to prove to Hayley on her own how much she wanted to fix this.

"Rachel's lecture might be worthwhile after all. I'm terrible at this shit." Quinn just smirked.

They had already had this conversation a dozen times this week. Hayley wasn't caving until Jess proved herself and Jess was floundering. Jess didn't want to go out in the hopes that Hayley would notice that she was trying to change and Quinn was happy for a night in her sweatpants with a bottle of wine.

By the time the bottle was empty, Jess had turned into Quinn's worst nightmare: a crying drunk. It wasn't like she hadn't dealt with this before. Most of her junior year weekends were spent calming down a sobbing Santana while she got upset over Britt.

Quinn woke up the next morning with a snoring Jess snuggled into her in Jess' tiny twin sized bed. Her back was pressed against the cinder block wall. She was trapped by Jess' lanky legs tangled in hers and she sighed, deciding whether to throw Jess off of her and wake the cranky girl or suck it up and try to go back to bed.

Hayley made the decision for her when she stalked into the room, not bothering to knock. Jess groaned and mumbled in annoyance before forcing her eyes open to see what the source of the noise was.

"What the hell are you two doing?" she asked, her hand on her hip and not looking amused.

"Huh?" mumbled Jess, trying to untangle her legs from Quinn but getting twisted in the blankets instead.

"You're in bed with another girl and my roommate never came home last night!" yelled Hayley. The small girl was a little scary when she was angry.

"Hayls…" Quinn started but was immediately cut off by Hayley's hand.

"I don't want to hear from you. I want Jess to tell me." She glared purposefully at Jess, waiting for an explanation.

"Hayl, it's just Quinn." Quinn winced at the words, knowing that Hayley was looking for something a little more heartfelt.

"You're in bed with the girl that you made puppy dog eyes with for months! The one that you were obviously crying over before falling into bed with me. I'm not fucking dumb, Jess." Quinn now understood what Finn meant when he called her scary Quinn. Hayley had definitely transformed into a scary alter ego.

"Hayley, you know I would never do anything to hurt Rachel," Quinn said quietly.

"Really? Is that why she's been calling your cell phone all morning? I'm going to assume she's wondering where the fuck you are and why she hasn't heard from you. I guess you forgot to mention that you were going to sleep in Jess' bed." Quinn winced at her roommate's words. She had left her cell phone in her room and figured she would go back and call Rachel before bed, but then Jess was crying and had fallen asleep in her arms.

"I tried. This is your battle, dude," said Quinn quickly to Jess and she hopped out of the bed and pushed past Hayley to leave the room. Quinn knew she was once again throwing her friends together, but she really didn't want to be in the middle of this lover's quarrel. Plus she needed to call Rachel and explain.

~!~!~!~!~!~

"Kurt, she hasn't answered her phone since before dinner yesterday! Don't you think I should call campus police or something to make sure nothing happened to her?" Rachel was pacing a hole into their living room floor.

"Rachel, calm down. Quinn is a big girl. Give her a few hours to wake up at a normal college student time and if she still doesn't answer, then we'll deal with it. I'm sure she's fine and is just really hungover or her phone died." He watched the diva, sighing. She was definitely a high maintenance roommate, but at least he had been able to rid her closet of animal sweaters.

Her phone rang shrilly and Rachel leaped across the room to pick it up. Quinn's name lit up on the screen and Rachel swiped it to answer the call.

"Are you okay? I've been freaking out. Did something happen to you? Are you in the hospital?"

"Rach, calm down. I'm fine." Quinn's voice was so relaxed like she hadn't kept her girlfriend freaking out all morning.

"Why haven't you answered me in over twelve hours? I thought you were dead in a ditch!" Rachel said, her voice still full of worry.

"I hung out in Jess' room last night and she requested that we just make it us with no distractions. She's still struggling with Hayley." It was a reasonable explanation, but Quinn always called or texted her to say goodnight.

"But why didn't you say goodnight when you got back to your room at least?" Rachel asked.

"Because I slept in Jess' bed. She got drunk and was crying and fell asleep on me when I was trying to calm her down and I just stayed." Her voice was so level, but Rachel was seeing red.

"You slept in Jess' bed with her? Are you kidding me, Quinn? I'm not even going to remind you that you have a girlfriend and that girl has feelings for you! Or does that not matter to you?"

"Rachel, please calm down. Nothing happened, I just held her while she cried. And maybe I should remind you that she was crying over a different girl. She's moved on."

"Quinn, I know the distance is hard on you, but that doesn't mean you can just sleep in other girl's beds."

"I really don't need a lecture from you right now. I've shared beds with Santana and Britt a million times and you've never had a problem with that."

"That's different and you know it, Quinn." Rachel's voice was quiet now.

"How? Because last time I checked, they are friends to me just like Jess is. Do you really not trust me at all?" Quinn was getting heated at Rachel's insinuations. "I've tried to do everything to make you trust me. I know I hurt you in the past but since we've been friends, all I've done is try to make it up to you and you still never give me the benefit of the doubt. Look, I need to go meet Derek. I'll talk to you later I guess."

The phone went dead before Rachel had a chance to reply. She sat down on the couch, staring at her phone in disbelief. Kurt was standing awkwardly in the kitchen. He had only heard one side of the conversation, but had figured out all of the essential details. He really wanted to tiptoe into his bedroom, but then Rachel started sobbing.

Half an hour later, Rachel had finally calmed down enough to talk. Kurt's arms were around her and her eyes were red and puffy from all of the tears.

"Do you think I don't trust Quinn?" she asked her best friend.

"You have reason to not trust her, Rach. She hurt you a lot in high school. But I think you're more jealous than actually thinking that Quinn is fooling around."

"I don't like that she slept in another girl's bed. I know it was innocent. Deep down I do know that. But Quinn Fabray can do so much better than me. She's brilliant and has the beauty of a goddess."

"But she loves you, Rachel." Kurt's words really resonated with her. She knew she was high maintenance and she wasn't in Quinn's league in looks. But Quinn loved her despite it all. She trusted in that.

"How do I fix this?" she asked quietly. In true Rachel nature, she immediately needed a plan to get Quinn to forgive her.

Rachel spent most of her Saturday worrying about the fight with Quinn. It was the first fight they were having as a couple. When they had been just friends, every once in a while they had gotten into a spat, but most of those had stemmed from Quinn pushing Rachel away to preserve her popularity or because Rachel was getting too close to breaking Quinn's walls down. But this time Quinn was really trying and Rachel had let her jealousy get the best of her.

In her heart she knew Quinn wouldn't cheat on her despite Quinn's spotty history when it came to fidelity. Rachel still felt like all of this had to be too good to be true. Quinn had been the most popular girl in their entire school once she became the youngest head Cheerio ever. Match that with her impeccable taste in clothes, perfect grades, and a complexion and hair that was to die for and a goddess was born. Rachel felt like she was the polar opposite and most of that stemmed from the fact that Quinn herself had spent most of their time in high school reminding Rachel that she was inferior. She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't believe that Quinn Fabray could really want her over everybody else.

By Saturday night, the lilies had been ordered and would be delivered to Quinn in the morning. Rachel had planned on making her (now) weekly YouTube video, but for once she didn't feel like singing. No song seemed sincere enough to show Quinn how sorry she truly was. Instead, she sat down in front of the camera and just talked.

"I don't know who really takes the time to watch these videos, but I know one girl that does. She's one of my biggest fans, my largest supporter, and my inspiration. Usually I would use music and cookies to say I'm sorry, but you deserve more than that, Quinn. I wish I could be at Yale right now to say this to you in person, but unfortunately this is the best I can do given our situation. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I never want to lose you. I'm sorry that I overreacted when you were really trying to be honest in the way that I've always asked you to be. I got jealous and it was unfair of me when you've done nothing but continually prove that you're trustworthy. I love you so much, Quinn, and even though I don't deserve it, I hope you can forgive me because I can't imagine my future without you in it." She sighed and pressed the button to stop recording. Before she could chicken out, she clicked and the video was uploaded. She just needed to hope that Quinn would take the time to watch it now.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn got an e-mail notification that Rachel had posted a new video, but she really wasn't in the mood to listen to Rachel deal with her feelings via song tonight. Plus, Quinn couldn't be sure if Rachel would be singing about wanting forgiveness or if it would be a way for her to take a stab at Quinn's track record of cheating. Rachel was completely capable of either and there was no way Quinn could stomach hearing Rachel put her down in song on the internet.

Avoiding her mixed feelings, Quinn dug her sketchpad out of her bag and her hand was quickly moving over the page with inspiration only coming from her mind. After a while, she picked up her colored pencils and continued to work on the sketch. Three hours later, her hand was cramping and in her lap was a drawing of the sunset on the restaurant deck from the night of her first date with Rachel. Quinn normally preferred to draw people (Rachel being her favorite subject), but today her mind just kept going back to those first nights with Rachel.

She tossed the sketchpad onto her desk and looked at the clock. It was only nine o'clock. Hayley and Jess had been locked in Jess' room for the whole afternoon. Quinn hoped that meant that they were dealing with their issues for real and that Jess finally just admitted her true feelings so they could be together. Derek had a date with Jamie tonight and Quinn was glad to have a quiet night completely to herself.

Somewhere around eleven when Quinn was tucked into bed, she felt her phone vibrate under her pillow. Bleary eyed, she pulled it out and blinked until her eyes could focus enough to read the message.

**I just wanted to say goodnight. I love and miss you, Quinn.**

Quinn couldn't help but let a half-smile creep onto her face. Rachel was trying so hard to respect Quinn's need for space even though it was completely against her nature. Quinn remembered a fight between her and Rachel at the beginning of senior year right after Quinn had rejoined glee. Rachel had immediately gotten on her case about how she needed to make up the booty camp sessions that the rest of the group had endured and that her voice needed extra practice. Sick of Rachel's incessant complaints, she stormed out during one of Rachel's self-assigned lessons. For three days following, Rachel called and texted her constantly, hunted her down in the hallways, and even slipped notes into her locker. Finally Quinn realized that she would actually get less attention from the brunette if she just dealt with her and got it over with.

This new reserved Rachel was a little surprising. Quinn had caught herself checking her phone at frequent intervals most of the day, expecting Rachel to be constantly begging for forgiveness or at least wanting to talk about their issues. She missed talking to the bubbly brunette, but Quinn was stubborn and she knew she wasn't wrong here. Rachel had overreacted, especially because Quinn had been completely honest and upfront. She had taken the time to calm down and tomorrow she'd deal with Rachel.

**Miss you too, Rach.**

It was the best she could do for now.

Quinn woke up to Hayley's empty bed in the morning. It was too early for Hayley to have already left for breakfast so Quinn assumed that her roommate had never made it back last night. She decided to take that as a good sign as she dragged herself out of her bed and into the hot shower.

Once she was dressed, Quinn sat down at her desk and opened her laptop. The notification of Rachel's video was still sitting in her inbox and Quinn gave in and clicked the link. Rachel was sitting at her desk in Quinn's Cheerio sweatshirt and her eyes were swollen and red. It wasn't the typical Rachel Berry that she watched weekly perform from her bedroom. She began to talk and Quinn just sat, listening to every word with rapt attention.

_I don't know who really takes the time to watch these videos, but I know one girl that does. She's one of my biggest fans, my largest supporter, and my inspiration. Usually I would use music and cookies to say I'm sorry, but you deserve more than that, Quinn. I wish I could be at Yale right now to say this to you in person, but unfortunately this is the best I can do given our situation. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I never want to lose you. I'm sorry that I overreacted when you were really trying to be honest in the way that I've always asked you to be. I got jealous and it was unfair of me when you've done nothing but continually prove that you're trustworthy. I love you so much, Quinn, and even though I don't deserve it, I hope you can forgive me because I can't imagine my future without you in it._

When the screen went blank at the end, Quinn became acutely aware of the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. She never had any doubt that they would be get beyond this fight, but it was obvious that Rachel had really been worried. She felt bad about ignoring the link and making Rachel wait so long to sort this out.

Quinn reached under her pillow to retrieve her cell phone and hit Rachel's speed dial key. The brunette's voice said a weak hello immediately after the first ring.

"Rach?"

"Hi, Quinn." Her voice seemed so timid and completely unlike her typically overconfident girlfriend.

"I watched your video."

"Oh?" The inflection was obvious in Rachel's voice. Quinn could just imagine the brunette sitting with her back perfectly straight and her bottom lip in between her lips to keep her from talking too much.

"My future is you, Rachel Berry. You matter to me more than everything else."

"While my relief is immense that you want to fix our relationship as much as I do, your education and future career should be of the utmost importance."

"They'll mean nothing if I don't have you."

"Quinn, I'm so sorry that I became the crazy jealous girlfriend. It's not an excuse, but I'm just terrified that I'm not good enough for someone like Quinn Fabray." Rachel's voice was a little choked as she tried to hold back the tears that were flooding her vision.

"You're more than enough. You're the only one for Quinn Fabray." It was the truth. Quinn knew that if her future didn't include Rachel Barbra Berry that it wasn't worth living.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

It was one in the morning and Quinn was still sitting at a cubicle in a quiet corner of the library. The caffeine from her multiple cups of coffee was pulsing through her veins as she tried to memorize her notes for her history final the next day. She only had two more finals before winter break, but it still felt a million years away.

Her leg bounced from all of the caffeine and her thoughts strayed away from the notes she should be reviewing. It had been three weeks since she had seen her girlfriend and she still had a week to go. Rachel's semester ended after hers and she wouldn't be back in Lima until five days after Quinn. On top of it, she had hardly gotten to speak to the brunette all week. They were both so busy with the end of the semester that they hadn't been able to find much time for one another.

Realizing it was a lost cause, Quinn threw her books back into her bag and walked back to her dorm. Hayley wasn't there when she got back, but that wasn't a surprise. Her roommate had hardly ate or slept since finals had started, spending the majority of her time studying with her science classmates and the rest of her time holed up in a secluded corner of the library.

Jess, on the other hand, seemed to have no stress over finals. She and Hayley had made up and for the first week back had been basically inseparable. After that, Hayley became so immersed in studying that Jess had been unbearable. She had taken to haunting Quinn's room in hopes that Hayley would come back from studying and when she didn't she would instead drive Quinn insane.

After suffering through her history final the next morning and eating a quick lunch, Quinn headed to the photography studio. They had a portfolio project as their final grade and she wanted to put the finishing touches on it. The studio was empty and Quinn spread out the photographs she had chosen.

"You have a keen eye, Ms. Fabray." Quinn jumped at the voice behind her. Her professor, Mr. Matthews, was standing there with an arm full of portfolios.

"Thank you, sir."

"Have you considered pursuing photography at all?" he asked.

"Not really until recently. My parents didn't really allow me to take courses like this in high school. I convinced my mom to let me minor in art and photography though as long as I continue with English as my major." Quinn had grown fond of Mr. Matthews over the course of the semester. He was a really relaxed professor, but she had learned so much.

"What are you planning to do with your English degree?"

"Honestly, sir, I have no idea. I love literature and journalism. Art has always been a hobby that I love and I'd like to find a way to incorporate that into my future, but I know that majoring in art wouldn't be a wise choice. My parents say that it's an insult to my intelligence." Quinn was blushing at how much she was talking. It wasn't often that she opened up to people, never mind one of her professors.

"You have a talent, Ms. Fabray. I haven't seen any of your artwork, but photography is a branch of artistic expression and you really are gifted. I have many contacts in different fields. I've noticed a lot of your pictures are taken in New York City. Are you from there originally?"

"No, sir. My girlfriend goes to college there. It's probably where I will move after I graduate if all goes to plan," Quinn responded.

"I know a guy that works as a photo-journalist there that takes on a college intern for the summers. Is that something you think you'd enjoy? It would tie in your English major if you want to focus in journalism."

"I never even considered doing something like that, but it sounds amazing," Quinn replied enthusiastically.

"Are you taking my Photography 2 class next semester?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then we'll work on your portfolio and I'll send it into him," said Mr. Matthews with a smile.

"Thank you so much, sir."

"I'll let you work, Quinn. You should do some research over break about possible career tracks in art you might be interested in. I wouldn't want to see talent like yours go to waste."

"Thank you, Mr. Matthews."

"My pleasure, Ms. Fabray," he responded as he left the room.

Quinn sat stunned for a few moments. Quinn was used to being a disappointment to her father. She had always had top grades and graduated valedictorian despite her teenage pregnancy and car accident. Between Yale and Rachel, it was a new sensation to have people notice her talent and encourage her.

She ended up daydreaming of spending the summer working in New York and living with Rachel. Quinn hadn't discussed with Rachel if she intended to stay in New York for the summer, but she figured it wouldn't take much convincing.

Finally finishing her portfolio, she put it in the big for Mr. Matthews and headed back to her dorm. The winter air was frigid and snow was lightly falling. Quinn pulled her hat down on her ears as she walked, trying to escape the bitter cold air.

To no surprise, Jess was sitting on her bed when she got back.

"Where have you been?" asked Jess, seemingly annoyed.

"I had to finish my photography portfolio so I was in the studio," answered Quinn as she pulled off her peacoat and scarf.

"I'm freaking bored. You and Hayley are working too hard," whined Jess, settling her back against the cinder block wall.

"Maybe you're just not working hard enough," said Quinn.

"What's the point? I only have one final left and cramming all night isn't going to help me anyway."

"Well some of us can't just breeze by I guess," said Quinn, sitting down in front of her laptop. She couldn't wait to tell Rachel about her conversation with Mr. Matthews about possibly interning in the city for the summer. She drafted an e-mail as Jess continued to ramble on about how ridiculous finals were. Quinn had learned to tune her out this week but secretly wished that Hayley was done with her finals so that she could entertain the tall brunette instead.

"You just have your English final left. We could totally have a few beers and chill tonight," pleaded Jess.

"Hell no, Jessica. I would prefer to not be hungover for my final in the morning. Plus, I already told Derek I would study with him for a while tonight."

"You guys seriously suck," pouted Jess as she stomped out of the room.

Quinn shrugged as her friend exited and finished up her e-mail to Rachel before getting her English notes together to go meet Derek.

Three hours later, Quinn and Derek were sitting on the floor of his dorm room surrounded by takeout Chinese containers and their English notes. It had been an exhausting week and English was their strongest subject, so studying soon fell away to talking.

"How are things going with Jamie?" Quinn asked, picking at her chicken lo mein.

"They are going well. I haven't gotten to see her too much because of finals and everything, but we're having dinner tomorrow once finals are over." His face had broken into a genuine smile at the mention of Jamie's name.

"Maybe at some point I can actually meet this mysterious woman that I helped you pick up," said Quinn with a smirk. He elbowed her in the ribs at her teasing and reached over to pick up a container of fried rice, digging in hungrily.

"Maybe we can double date one weekend when Rachel comes up to visit. How has she been? You haven't talked about her much lately."

"Rach is good. We've both been so busy that I've hardly heard from her. She has basically all performances and presentations instead of finals so she's had to prepare for that and she still has another week to go."

"At least you'll get to spend a ton of time with her over the holidays," said Derek, trying to cheer her up.

"Yeah, I can't wait." She leaned over and picked up the guitar Derek had been teaching her to play. The calluses had been growing on her fingers from the rigid strings over the past few weeks from her lessons with Derek. She plucked out the now familiar chords as Derek looked on, waiting for her voice to fill the room.

_Hey there, Delilah_

_What's it like in New York City?_

_I'm a thousand miles away_

_But, girl, tonight you look so pretty_

_Yes you do_

_Times Square can't shine as bright as you_

_I swear it's true_

Her fingers fell away from the strings, pleased that she had finally mastered part of the song. Derek grinned at her before shoving another forkful of Chinese food into his mouth.

"Ugh, you're such a disgusting jock sometimes," said Quinn, watching the boy stuff his face. He opened his mouth to display his half-chewed food and laughing at the disgust on Quinn's face.

"This is why I'm a lesbian." Derek snorted in response.

"We need to get you your own guitar so you can woo that girl of yours," said Derek.

"Guitar is much sexier than piano, but playing music for Rachel is intimidating as she's the most talented vocalist I've ever met."

"Wait, you play piano?" asked Derek curiously.

"My parents made me take lessons from age 6 until my dad kicked me out. It was part of my perfect girl image. Although, I was only allowed to play classical piano under their roof," responded Quinn, thinking about all of the lonely afternoons spent in their living room at the piano while her mom sat there with a glass of wine. She had never really enjoyed music until she joined glee club.

"We'll have to jam sometime," said Derek as he tuned his other guitar to join Quinn. "Let's get you nailing that song to woo Rachel instead of studying for this final."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Rachel, I don't think you should be allowed to have anymore caffeine." Kurt watched the girl pace frantically in their living room with a script in her hand.

"I still don't have this down perfectly and my performance is tomorrow, Kurt. My natural energy only lasts for my typical hours, but since I am extending beyond them tonight, I need to indulge in coffee."

Kurt rolled his eyes at the overdramatic diva. Rachel had perfected this performance over a week ago. She was never one to not be prepared.

"I'm transferring to FIT." That stopped Rachel's pacing immediately.

"What do you mean you're transferring to FIT? NYADA's theatre program is the strongest around."

"I'm changing my career path. I'm going into design instead of theatre."

"But, Kurt! This has been our dream forever! You cannot just abandon that!"

"Rachel, it's not like I'm leaving New York. We're still roomies, we're just not going to be taking classes together anymore. Fashion has always been my calling and I've decided that it's more important to me that theatre." Rachel was standing over him with her hands on her hips, completely dumbstruck. They had spent months worrying about getting into NYADA and now he was willingly giving it up.

"Well, as my best friend, I suppose that I need to support your decision."

"How generous of you," Kurt replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm. He wasn't surprised by Rachel's reaction – she was typically too self-absorbed to notice anybody else. Kurt hadn't been enjoying NYADA the way she had this semester. "It's happening whether or not you like it, but I'd appreciate it if my best friend could actually be happy for me." He executed a diva storm out, leaving Rachel on the couch with her mouth agape.

Not knowing what else to do, she retreated to her own room and opened her e-mail. There was a bunch of junk mail and one from Quinn. She deleted the rest and opened the one from her girlfriend. It was the longest communication she had gotten from Quinn all week and scanning through, it was obvious that Quinn was in a great mood. She read through about Quinn's possible internship in New York for the summer. Despite being upset about Kurt, a wide grin seeped across her face. Quinn wanted to spend her summer living with Rachel in New York.

Rachel started frantically typing her response to Quinn. She was counting the days until she was back in Ohio just so she could give the blonde a real display of her excitement and affection. But until then, she could only send a message via internet with a little teaser of the things she was going to do when they were finally within her soundproofed childhood bedroom.

Once she finished her e-mail, Rachel took one more run through of her script before getting ready for bed. Tomorrow was the first of her end of semester assignments. The one thing about going to a dramatic arts school meant that final exams were basically non-existent. Instead she had performances and presentations. It was way beyond her normal sleeping hour and she was having trouble falling asleep between the anxiety of tomorrow morning's performance and the coffee that Kurt had wisely advised her to not drink.

Her performance was in an hour and Rachel was running around the apartment to get ready. She had slept through her alarm for the first time in eighteen years, which had completely messed up her morning routine. Her elliptical time had to be eliminated and her shower was hasty and cut into her normal morning vocal warm-up that she did with her repertoire of shower songs. Grabbing a banana on the way out the door, she shouted a goodbye to Kurt as she took off.

She breezed through her performance despite her hectic morning and raced home to bake some of her famous sugar cookies to apologize to Kurt. He walked in just as she was putting the final touches of icing on.

"It smells divine in here," he sat as he hung up his coat.

"I made you cookies," replied Rachel, gesturing towards the plate in front of her. "I wanted to apologize for my lack of enthusiasm at your transfer. You'll be amazing at design. Plus I'm going to need someone to make my dress when I get nominated for my first Tony," she said quietly, looking up to meet Kurt's eyes.

"If only you should be so lucky to wear a Kurt Hummel original," he said with a laugh and walking over to his roommate. "Thank you, Rachel."

They hugged briefly and Kurt reached over for one of the star-shaped cookies on the counter.

"How was your performance?" he asked, taking a bite.

"It probably wasn't the best one I ever gave due to my lack of connection with the character, but I'm sure it was satisfactory in terms of receiving a good grade," Rachel responded. "How was your presentation?"

"Fine. I'm just ready to be home. New Directions has sectionals the night we get back and I'm going to go watch Blaine. Are you and Quinn interested? I figured we could get the crew back together."

"I would love to see their talent this year and I'm sure Quinn will agree. She gets home the day after tomorrow and will be wanting to see everybody by then."

"She's not going to lock you in your room to ravish you all night long after a month apart?" asked Kurt with a smirk. Quinn had hardly been able to keep her hands off of Rachel over Thanksgiving and that was after only two weeks apart.

"I'll be home for an entire month. She can make it one night for me."

"I'd say that's doubtful, but she is definitely wrapped around your little finger," he said as he headed into his bedroom.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"We survived a whole semester!" said Jess, lifting her beer can to clink it against Quinn's. They were sitting in Quinn's room in the afternoon after Quinn's English final. She was done until the end of the January and the relief was immense. Since she wasn't flying out until the morning, she had agreed to help Jess empty out her fridge for break, which turned out to mean drinking all of the leftover alcohol.

Hayley was sitting on the floor, leaning back against Jess' legs tenderly, a mixed concoction in her hand. She had finished last night and was already incredibly relaxed from having gotten a good night's sleep for the first time in weeks.

It hadn't been easy, but Quinn would be lying if she said she didn't love college. It was everything she had hoped it would be: an escape from Lima with hopes of a bright future, interesting classes, fun parties, and great new friends.

Her phone buzzed with a new message and she pulled it out of the pocket of her jeans to read it.

**Derek: Stop by tonight so I can see you before we leave?**

**Quinn: Definitely. Can we practice my song?**

**Derek: You already have it nailed, but of course.**

**Quinn: Cool I'll call you after dinner.**

She turned back to find Hayley on Jess' lap, kissing her deeply.

"Seriously, guys? I'm in the freaking room!" she said, annoyed.

"Sorry, Quinn," said Hayley as she toppled onto the bed next to Jess, her cheeks flushed.

"Damn it, Q, we're gonna be spending a month apart and you want us to not touch now?" asked Jess, glaring at her best friend.

"I've gone three weeks without Rachel already and I still have another to go before she gets home. You'll live," replied Quinn with no pity for her friends.

"I bet Rachel gives you some steamy phone sex though. That girl seems like a closet freak." Quinn's face went bright red at Jess' comment, giving herself away.

"Ha, I knew it!" exclaimed Jess with a giddy smile. "We'll be giving them a run for their money over break though, won't we, baby?" asked Jess, turning to face Hayley. Hayley's face turned even redder than Quinn's and Jess laughed at the pair of them. "Seriously, you two are like the biggest prudes ever when you talk about sex."

Quinn didn't disagree. She had been a prude altogether besides her slip up with Puck until Rachel came along. Her boyfriends never got underneath her bra, especially after Beth was born. But sex with Rachel was addicting and Quinn finally understood what Rachel meant when she said that girls want sex just as much as guys do in her one and only Celibacy Club meeting in tenth grade. Apparently you just needed to find the right person to have sex with. But talking about sex was still really weird for her. She had listened to Brittany and Santana talk about their sexual excursions every day for years, but she wasn't one to add to the conversation. Hell, it had taken her until halfway into the semester away from Rachel to even attempt phone sex. The Fabrays were raised to not talk about such things and Quinn was still trying to overcome that particular piece of her upbringing.

By the time their stomachs were growling too loud to ignore dinner any longer, Quinn was really buzzed. Their hall mates had been stopping in all afternoon, joining the conversation and helping consume some of the alcohol and the three girls had done their fair share of making a dent in the fridge.

She hardly noticed the cold air as they walked to the dining hall, being perfectly content to stroll behind her friends and take in the beauty that was the snow-covered Yale campus. It had snowed earlier in the day and there were footsteps throughout, the typically grassy areas of the quad showing the remnants of a fierce snowball fight. The campus was quiet from many of the residents heading home to begin their winter vacation, but Quinn liked the serenity of the lamp lit pathways as they walked.

The dining hall was quite empty and the girls grabbed one of the larger tables in the middle of the hall. She had hardly eaten anything at lunch, having just finished her final and feeling too exhausted to really enjoy food. After her nap and an afternoon of booze, however, Quinn was beyond starving. She loaded up her tray that would make her mother and Rachel scold her for poor eating habits, but nothing sounded better than a burger and cheese fries at the moment.

After sufficient gorging herself, Quinn called goodbye to her friends before heading towards Derek's dorm. He was waiting by the door to let her in from the cold when she arrived, already in pajama pants and a blue Yale sweatshirt. He greeted her with a smile as always and she followed him upstairs to his room.

"Did Jeff already leave for break?" asked Quinn, referring to Derek's roommate.

"Yeah, right after his final this morning. His girlfriend goes to school in Boston so he was heading up there to pick her up I think."

Quinn sat down on his roommate's empty bed, the guitar already resting in her lap. Her callused fingers found now familiar chords and she pulled a pick out of her pocket to strum.

"Did Jamie leave yet?" Quinn asked as she moved her fingers to strum a G chord.

"Not until tomorrow. I'm going to go over there in the morning to say goodbye."

"You guys aren't spending your last night together? I couldn't tear Hayley and Jess apart all day."

"She's with the girls for the night and it's impossible to argue with that, so here I am," he replied with a sheepish grin and picked up his nice guitar to join her.

"I asked my mom to get me a guitar for Christmas," she said as her fingers made her way to the next chord, mimicking Derek's movements.

"Oh, yeah? I'll be busy with lacrosse next semester, but we'll have to find some time to jam," he said, playing an intricate riff over Quinn's carefully strummed chords.

He stopped his little warm-up and rested his arms on the guitar, waiting for Quinn to begin the song she had been planning to play for Rachel. The Berrys had a rule that for Hanukkah you had to give gifts that you couldn't necessarily buy so that they would mean more. She had already called Puck to borrow a guitar until she got hers on Christmas so that she could play the song for Rachel as one of her gifts.

When the final chord rung out, matched with Quinn's voice, she looked up from her hands and caught Derek's eye.

"I think you've got it, Quinn. She's going to love it."

He started calling out chords to a new song for her to learn and she kept moving her left fingers along the frets, finding the correct strings and pinning them while her right hand strummed a basic rhythm. Once she got the basics down, he strummed along with her and took the vocals for a change.

_I was flipping through the cards down at the drugstore and_

_I found one I thought you would adore so I bought it_

_Walking back from the line to my car never seemed so far before_

_The day I stopped to think how I would feel if I lost you_

_But if this is my dying breath, I just want you to hear me,_

_Hear me say I love you one last time_

_So will you be my Valentine for forever not one day,_

'_Cause when this day is over know my feelings haven't changed_

_No my feelings haven't changed about you_

The boy's voice distracted Quinn and she let her hands fall away from the guitar as she watched him play so effortlessly. His eyes were closed and his fingers moved seamlessly as he sang softly.

_Candy hearts and chocolate bars can't substitute for the feeling in your heart_

_So don't bother_

_Flowers are a loving gesture but you know you can do much better_

_If you try you can say it with the look in your eyes_

_But if this is my dying breath, I just want you to hear me,_

_Hear me say I love you one last time_

_So will you be my Valentine forever not one day_

'_Cause when this day is over know my feelings haven't changed.._

He finished the song a little early, having finally noticed that he was playing solo now. She was staring at him in disbelief. Derek had always let Quinn sing or only hummed the words softly when they played together.

"Just in case you need something in your arsenal for another holiday," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Derek, you have an amazing voice. Why have you never sung for me before?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know. I never really let anybody hear me except my shower walls. I always focused so much on school and lacrosse. I only learned guitar to impress my ex-girlfriend because the guys on the team told me a girl digs a guy that can play guitar."

"Well you could totally use that to woo your new girlfriend. She probably would have picked you over the girls tonight if you had serenaded her like that," Quinn said honestly, causing Derek's cheeks to turn a little pink.

"Thanks, Quinn," he said shyly.

"I should probably get some sleep; I want to get on the road early tomorrow." She returned his guitar to the stand in the corner. He walked her to the front door before wrapping her into a hug and kissing her lightly on the forehead like a big brother.

"Have an awesome break, Quinn. Let me know how the song goes over with Rachel."

"Will do. Don't miss me too much," she said with a wink as she pulled away from his arms, wrapping her jacket tightly around her before heading into the cold.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Rachel was exhausted by the time she got home that night. School was wearing her out and she was counting down until she'd be relaxing at her dads' house in Ohio. The hot shower felt amazing on her tired muscles and she stood under the stream until it started to get cold. Once back in her room, she pulled on her gold star pajama pants and the sweatshirt she had stolen from Quinn. She piled her wet hair on top of her head in a messy bun and slipped her feet into fuzzy pink slippers before joining Kurt on the couch in the living room.

He was already fifteen minutes into watching The Sound of Music and Rachel snuggled up next to him under the throw blanket. Their customary bowl of popcorn was balanced in Kurt's lap and she grabbed a handful, crunching happily.

There was a knock on their door and she and Kurt looked at one another in confusion since they weren't expected guests that night. She scurried to the front door and stood on tiptoes to peek out of the peephole into the hallway. A small gasp escaped her lips as she pulled the heavy door open.

"Finn…" was all that escaped her lips at the sight of the tall, lumbering boy in an Army uniform standing on their doormat wearing a sheepish grin.

**Songs Used:**

**Plain White T's – Hey There Delilah**

**Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – Valentine's Day**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"Who's there, Rachel?" called Kurt, turning around on the couch to face the door. He squealed at the sight of his stepbrother before leaping off of the couch and spilling popcorn everywhere.

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked as Finn gave him a small hug.

"I have a two week leave before I'm due at my base in Texas," Finn responded, his eyes glued to Rachel, who was still tightly grasping the knob of the open door.

She snapped out of her surprise when Finn's eyes met her own.

"Where are my manners? Come in, Finn," she said cordially, her show smile plastered on her face. He gave her a genuine, goofy half smile and moved into the apartment so Rachel could close the door behind him.

"Why are you in New York?" she asked curiously as they sat back down in the living room, The Sound of Music forgotten in the background.

"I needed to see you, Rach," replied Finn, his gaze never straying from Rachel's face. Figuring that Rachel would give him the gossip later, Kurt quickly excused himself to his bedroom to leave them to talk.

"I'm going to be in Ohio in a few days, why couldn't you just wait until then to see me like everybody else?" asked Rachel.

"Yeah, like I'll be able to get ten minutes alone with you once Quinn is around," he said with a scoff.

"I still don't get it, Finn. What is the big deal that you came all the way to New York to see me?"

"I'm in love with you, Rachel. And I know that if you would just get over this phase with Quinn you would realize that you still love me too."

"Quinn is not a phase," she said quietly, trying to control her temper with the boy.

"Look, I know you think you need to have life experiences to be a good actress or whatever. But hasn't this gone far enough, Rach? Quinn always hurts you; I'm sure this is all just a huge game to her."

"I do not need to sit here and listen to you insult my girlfriend, Finn!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "I have a presentation in the morning, I'm going to bed. You can stay on the couch for the night." She turned on her heel and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door so hard that the walls shook, leaving Finn staring dumbly.

Rachel was pacing in her room, furious at Finn's presence in her apartment right now. She shouldn't be surprised. It had been curious that he hadn't lost his mind over her and Quinn at the end of the summer. Apparently he thought it would end as quickly as it started and he could swoop in and pick up her broken pieces. But Quinn was still very much in the picture months later and he took it as his job to make Rachel see sense and come back to him instead. She needed to talk to Quinn.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn's phone rang as soon as she climbed into her bed that night.

"Hello?" she said, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Quinn.."

"Rachel, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting upright at the sound of her upset girlfriend.

"Finn is here. He showed up out of nowhere at our door tonight. He thinks you're just a phase," Rachel said quickly.

"Why the hell is Finn in New York?" Quinn asked, sitting bolt upright in her bed.

"To convince me that our relationship isn't real and that I'm just going through a phase in order to have life experience to help my acting ability. Oh, and to convince me that I should be with him instead."

"I'm a phase?" said Quinn, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"Those were his words, not mine. You're not a phase, Quinn. I don't plan on ever giving you up."

Quinn was silent for several long minutes as she took in the situation. Finn was in New York trying to convince her girlfriend to leave her for him. She thought that they had already dealt with this at the end of the summer, but apparently Finn wasn't the easy going, forgiving guy that he had pretended to be. Quinn knew she shouldn't be surprised; Finn had pulled the same kinds of stunts when he realized that he lost Rachel to Jesse.

"I'm coming to New York." It was a statement rather than a question.

"Quinn, that's unnecessary. I can handle Finn on my own and your mom is expecting you back in Ohio tomorrow. It is not imperative that you come all the way here to rescue me."

"I am not going back to Lima by myself while Finn gets to be in his glory spending alone time with my girlfriend. I'll be there in the morning and if you cancel your flight, we can drive home together for break."

"You're going to be insufferably stubborn about this, aren't you?" asked Rachel.

"I'm a Fabray after all. We get what we want," replied Quinn, the familiar HBIC smirk creeping onto her face.

The girls said goodnight and Quinn laid back down knowing she was going to need a good night's sleep before she kicked Finn's ass tomorrow.

After packing up her car and saying a quick goodbye to Jess and Hayley, Quinn was cruising down I-95 bound for Manhattan. That was the easy part. She thought transportation in the city was scary enough, but it didn't even compare to trying to navigate down the crowded streets with people honking and the GPS squawking out directions. By the time she made it to Rachel's neighborhood, it took her twenty minutes to parallel park into the tiny space. Her nerves were frayed and all she could think about was taking a nap as soon as she got into Rachel's apartment.

The door swung open as soon as she knocked and a small girl leaped into her arms. Quinn stumbled back before catching her balance and wrapping her arms tightly around Rachel, her face buried in the waves of brown hair, inhaling the scent of Rachel's fruity shampoo. The girl pulled away slightly, just enough to meet Quinn's lips in a sweet kiss, before grabbing her hand and pulling her into the apartment.

Finn was sitting at the kitchen table, his mouth agape at the sight of Quinn in the doorway. Rachel had obviously not warned him that she was coming to New York.

"What are _she _doing here?" he asked, looking pointedly at Rachel.

"A better question would be what are you doing here, Hudson. See, my girlfriend lives here so I'm welcome to be here. You, on the other hand…"

"Quinn, honey.." Rachel's voice was the only thing that held Quinn back from her attack on Finn. She stopped mid-sentence and caught a glimpse of Rachel's pleading eyes. With a loud sigh she picked up her duffel bag and stormed off to Rachel's room. She heard Rachel talking quietly to Finn for a minute before her girlfriend appeared in the room and closed the door behind her.

"Quinn, I love you for being so protective, but you didn't need to come all the way to New York to yell at Finn."

"He's acting like I'm the odd one out here! You're _my_ girlfriend, Rachel!" Quinn was pacing the room in her fury.

"You're right, I am your girlfriend. And the presence of Finn in my apartment is most definitely not going to change that. I have made it abundantly clear to him that I'm not pleased at his arrival nor do I have even the slightest interest in returning to a romantic relationship with him."

"He's not getting the memo though, Rach. He's not happy to see me because he thought he was going to have a few days to win you over without me around to run interference. I'm not letting him even think he has a shot with you." Rachel cracked a smile. "What's so funny?" asked Quinn, confused.

"You're so sexy when you're being protective," replied Rachel huskily. Quinn let out a small moan at her girlfriend's compliment and closed the distance between them quickly, taking the brunette's lips for her own. They tumbled onto the bed with wandering hands and fiery kisses and moans continued to escape from deep within Quinn.

The weeks without Rachel's touch had caused such a buildup that she felt like she was going to explode at Rachel's fingertips gliding lightly along her stomach. She moaned and threw her head back in pent up frustration and Rachel took advantage of the stretch of exposed neck, moving her mouth down Quinn's jaw and leaving a trail of wet kisses as her tongue pressed against the blonde's pulse point.

"Rach, that feels so good," she groaned as Rachel's hands moved up under her shirt, palming her breasts and grazing against her nipples that were straining against the fabric of her bra. Rachel giggled against her neck; the vibrations making her hips buck up into the brunette, desperate for friction.

"Patience, sweetie," grumbled Rachel as she kissed down to Quinn's collarbone.

"I don't have any, Rach. Just fuck me hard. Now." Her voice was demanding and Rachel felt a surge of heat to her own core at hearing Quinn being so forceful. She sat up on the girl and tore Quinn's shirt over her head and unsnapped her bra, attaching her lips to an erect nipple, biting it softly and then quickly soothing it with a sweep of her tongue. Quinn was pushing her body up into Rachel forcefully and Rachel let her thigh slip between the girl's legs and lowering her own core against Quinn's jean clad thigh.

"I need more," moaned Quinn as she continued to thrust her hips into Rachel's thigh. Rachel sat up and unbuttoned Quinn's jeans, pulling the restricting material down smooth, porcelain legs. As soon as the offending garment was removed, Rachel cupped Quinn's core in her hand, running her palm roughly along the soaking wet fabric of her underwear and eliciting a deep groan from Quinn as the blonde's hips began bucking up again. Rachel giggled at Quinn's enthusiasm and couldn't resist her any longer. She pulled Quinn's underwear down her legs and let her fingers glide through Quinn's wet folds. Skipping her clit, she roughly thrust two fingers into Quinn, causing Quinn's hips to buck violently into her hand.

She climbed back on top of her girlfriend, positioning her hand so she could thrust deeply inside Quinn, letting her hand brush against her throbbing clit on each stroke. Quinn was moaning louder than Rachel had ever heard her and it spurred her on. Rachel let her thumb rub Quinn's clit in tight circles as her fingers curled inside her on each thrust, rubbing her g-spot. Within minutes Quinn's breathing became erratic and she was bucking her hips roughly up into Rachel to force as much friction as possible.

"Fuck, Rach, you're gonna make me come!" she yelled as her hip thrusts became more erratic but way more frantic. Rachel dove down quickly and replaced her hand with her tongue and Quinn screamed her name as her walls began clenching around Rachel's tongue. Rachel kept her thumb on Quinn's clit as her tongue worked her hole, riding out her orgasm. When Quinn's body finally went limp, Rachel lapped up the juices that had flooded her mouth, reveling in the sweet taste of her girlfriend before crawling back up to kiss Quinn.

"I don't think I've ever come so hard in my life," panted Quinn as Rachel bent down to kiss her.

The blonde groaned at the taste of herself on Rachel's tongue and reached down to pull the hem of Rachel's shirt up and over her head. Her hands reached behind Rachel to unclasp the bra and Rachel shrugged it down her shoulders to give Quinn access to her stiff nipples.

Quinn's fingers found Rachel's nipples and she rolled the hard buds between them, making the brunette grind down onto her thigh. Rachel pulled away long enough to rid herself of her pants and underwear before climbing back on Quinn and pushing her lips against the blonde's in a passionate kiss while she rubbed against Quinn's bare thigh.

"Rach, you're so sexy," said Quinn in between kisses, her hands sliding down Rachel's tight abs and caressing her thighs, making Rachel grind more intensely on her. The brunette threw her head back as Quinn cupped her ass and guided her movements. Quinn's thigh was soaked from Rachel's core and she pushed it up into Rachel, making the diva let out a loud moan.

"Quinn…" moaned Rachel as she moved her hips more frantically. Quinn wrapped her arm around Rachel's waist and pulling her down slightly. She pushed one finger into the brunette and was rewarded with another loud moan as Rachel bucked against her hand and thigh, looking for more friction on her clit. Quinn guided her motions and worked up a fast rhythm until Rachel was panting hard.

"Come for me, Rach," she growled deeply and Rachel's eyes snapped open to meet the hazel ones below her. With their eyes locked, Quinn thrust a second finger into her girlfriend and Rachel pushed down hard onto it, screaming Quinn's name as it pushed her over the edge.

Finally her body stopped jerking on top of Quinn and she collapsed on top of the naked blonde, panting heavily.

"Damn, I missed you," said Quinn, her voice still deep and eyes almost black.

"Missed you too, baby," said Rachel with a little smile. "I'm sure Finn didn't appreciate our animalistic noises." Quinn couldn't help but laugh. She had forgotten the oaf was even in the apartment and she imagined his face as Rachel was screaming Quinn's name as she climaxed.

"Guess we should go deal with Finnept," she said with contempt at the idea of leaving the bedroom when she had a naked Rachel wrapped up against her. Rachel agreed and pulled herself away after a chaste kiss and pulled her clothes back on. Quinn followed suit, opting for a Wicked t-shirt from Rachel's drawer instead of her own shirt.

Rachel opened the door and walked into the living room where Finn was sitting, his face a dark shade of red.

Quinn came up behind Rachel and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist, smirking over the brunette's shoulder at Finn.

"Bet you never were able to make her scream your name like that," said Quinn smugly before walking to the kitchen to make some coffee. Finn just spluttered on his words and Rachel gave her a disapproving look that was soon softened by Quinn's smile.

Quinn got the coffee started and leaned against the counter as she watched Rachel and Finn. Rachel had sat down in a chair a little away from him and was trying to talk to him casually but he seemed to be rendered speechless since they had come back from the bedroom. Quinn chuckled at the sight before turning around to pull mugs out of the cabinet.

"Rach, Finn, would you like some coffee?" she asked. Rachel nodded and Finn just continued to stare at the wall, trying to avoid the girls' eyes at all costs. Quinn just shrugged a poured three mugs and carefully carrying them over to the coffee table in the living room. She placed one of them in front of Finn, who didn't acknowledge her at all, before flopping onto the floor at Rachel's feet and leaning up against her girlfriend's legs. Quinn was feeling giddy at Finn's discomfort and kept staring at the boy, willing him to speak.

"Finn, we need to talk about everything," said Rachel quietly. "I have a final in a couple of hours, so I'll leave you with your thoughts until afterwards and then the three of us will go out to dinner and talk things out like adults." Finn nodded vaguely, still fixated on a blank spot on the wall. "Quinn, you are not going antagonize him and act like high school Quinn. Kurt is off this afternoon, so I'll ask him to show Finn around the city and you can hang out here until I get back." Quinn knew there was no point in trying to disobey Rachel so she nodded in agreement.

Rachel got up to go shower and get ready so Quinn grabbed the remote and flipped on the television. Finn got up and went into his stepbrother's room, leaving his coffee untouched.

When Kurt got back from his final, he gave Quinn a big hug hello before dragging Finn out of the apartment to show him the finer points of New York City. Rachel emerged a few minutes later, looking sexy in skinny jeans and a black v-neck sweater. She pulled on a pair of flats, a scarf and her pea coat before kissing Quinn goodbye and heading out to her final.

Quinn had the apartment to herself and she wished she had a guitar so she could practice her song for Rachel, but instead she figured she would work on the drawing she wanted to give Rachel for one of her Hanukkah gifts. She pulled her pencils and the sketchbook out of her backpack and flipped to the page she had been working on.

It was a portrait of Rachel on a stage. Quinn should have realized how much she liked Rachel in high school. She could picture every single one of Rachel's performances clearly in her mind, but the one that always stuck out was the Don't Rain on My Parade solo from their first Sectionals. It was the first time Quinn had really seen Rachel in her element. There was no way that anybody would have been able to steal her spotlight that night. The photograph was clipped to the corner of the page and she smiled down at a young Rachel, her arms wide as she belted out the long, last note.

Her pencil glided across the page, bringing that memory to life.

Quinn lost herself in her art and jumped when she heard the front door open. She slammed her book closed and tossed it back into her bag as the bedroom door creaked open and Rachel's face appeared.

"Hey, pretty girl," said Quinn lighting up at the sight of her girlfriend. Rachel dropped her bag and flopped onto the bed, dropping her head into Quinn's lap. "How was your final?" she asked as she stroked the silky brunette hair on her thighs.

"It was fine. I'm sure I did a satisfactory job. Now I just have my vocal final in two days and then we can finally head to Ohio." Quinn looked down into the chocolate orbs and smiled at Rachel. Her Rachel.

"Do we really have to have dinner with Finn?" Quinn whined, her fingers laced in Rachel's hair.

"Yes, Quinn, the best thing for the situation is to talk about it calmly. I know that you and Finn both let your anger get the best of you, but we need to deal with this. Finn has been our friend for a really long time, Quinn, and I know he is confused about the situation right now, but underneath it all we have a friendship to preserve."

"Why do you have to be so mature, Rachel?"

"Somebody has to be, I suppose," said Rachel with a little smile.

The front door opened again and the boys entered the apartment with Kurt chatting animatedly about FIT and his transfer next semester. Rachel sat up and walked into the living room to greet them. Sighing, Quinn followed the flowing brown hair as it whipped around the corner.

"Hello, Hudson," said Quinn with as much contempt as she could get away with in front of Rachel. Kurt raised his eyebrow at the obvious tension in the room.

"I'm going to meet Ashlyn for dinner. You kids have fun," he said before dropping his bag in his room and heading back out of the apartment.

"Are you two ready for dinner?" asked Rachel with feigned enthusiasm, looking between the blonde and the tall, dark-haired boy. Quinn nodded slightly, biting her lip. Finn just stared at her with his mouth hanging open. Rachel took that as a yes and she and Quinn pulled on their jackets before leading him out of the apartment.

Rachel had picked a small Italian place a few blocks from her apartment so they walked in near silence. Rachel had linked her arm with Quinn's and was nearly skipping as they walked. Finn trailed behind them, his hands stuffed into his pockets and staring at his feet. He begrudgingly followed them into the restaurant and slid into the booth across from them. The place was much nicer than Breadstix and he felt uncomfortable at the small touches and glances that constantly flew back and forth between the two girls sitting across from him.

They ordered and sat awkwardly for a few minutes as they waited for their food. Quinn tapped her fingers against the wood and Rachel put a hand over hers to steady it.

"So.." said Finn. It was the first word he had uttered to them since they had emerged from the bedroom with an after sex glow.

"Finn, I think it's imperative that we discuss you acknowledging that this relationship between Quinn and I is real. I understand that you still harbor romantic feelings for me, but my heart lies with Quinn, whether you understand it or not." Rachel's voice sounded like a well-rehearsed speech and Quinn could picture Rachel plotting out what she was going to say all afternoon.

"Hudson, I know you think I'm not good enough for Rachel and you have your own issues with me from how I've acted in the past. The only reason I haven't kicked your ass is because I know that Rachel disapproves of my way of dealing with things. But don't doubt me, I will chop off your balls if you don't back down from this ridiculous attempt to pursue my girlfriend." Rachel squeezed Quinn's hand slightly to keep her in check.

"I get it," mumbled Finn, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry for showing up without warning, Rachel. It's not my place to tell you how to live your life. I just missed you so much when I was at boot camp and besides my mom and Kurt you were the only one that bothered sending me letters."

"I forgive you, Finn. I think I can speak for Quinn and I when I say that we don't want to lose our friendship." Rachel glanced pointedly at Quinn, who nodded slightly and forced a smile onto her face. She didn't care about fixing things with Finn as long as he was going to be backing down from Rachel, but she was willing to do whatever it took to keep her girlfriend happy in the matter.

With that, the food arrived and they dug in. Finn seemed to have relaxed a little bit and even tried to make small talk about life in boot camp and asking the girls about their classes. Quinn saw his eyes glaze over as Rachel rambled on about her theatre class and she scoffed slightly.

_How did he possibly think he was the one for Rachel if he got bored listening to that angelic voice?_

When they finished, Quinn threw some cash on the table to cover her and Rachel before helping her girlfriend into her jacket. The walk back to the apartment was more pleasant than the walk to the restaurant and Quinn relaxed into Rachel's grip on her arm.

Kurt and Ashlyn were sitting in the living room holding glasses of wine when they returned. Quinn poured herself a glass as Rachel refused, wanting to preserve her voice for her vocal final on Thursday. Kurt pointed Finn towards the bottle of vodka in the cabinet and he grabbed a shot glass from the cabinet before joining them on the couch.

They relaxed and drank the night away and Quinn had to admit that she had a good time, even with Finn's gazes lingering on the tiny brunette that was lounging with her legs in Quinn's lap.

When Rachel's yawns became loud, Quinn pulled her up and led her into the bedroom. After getting ready for bed, she cuddled under the warm comforter, pulling the petite body towards her and felt Rachel mold against her chest.

"Thanks for being mature about this with Finn," Rachel said quietly, snuggling tighter into the blonde and taking in her scent.

"I'd do anything for you, baby," mumbled Quinn, kissing Rachel's forehead. She could feel Rachel smile against her chest. Quinn was content. Rachel was hers, all hers.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Quinn carried Rachel's heavy bags down the stairs and threw them in the trunk of her VW haphazardly. Rachel had taken her vocal final that morning and now they could finally head home for four glorious weeks of relaxation.

Once the car was all packed up, Rachel came downstairs with their mugs of coffee in hand and Quinn couldn't help but admire how adorable she looked. Her dark hair was under a white hat, loose curls falling from beneath it. Her eyes were sparkling with adventure as she practically skipped to the car and hopped in the passenger seat.

"I prepared a playlist for our listening pleasure for the drive. I also packed car appropriate snacks and mapped out the best places to take our rest stops and the points at which we should trade off driving."

"Is there anything you didn't think of?" asked Quinn with a giggle. Rachel pouted for a moment, which just made her look even cuter. Quinn leaned over and kissed her on the nose, before putting the car into drive and pulling out onto the streets of Manhattan.

An eleven hour drive was going to be brutal, but for some reason, Quinn was looking forward to spending it with Rachel.

"Quinn, we don't have a scheduled stop for another 35 miles!" said Rachel as Quinn pulled off of the highway at a rest stop.

"Rach, I have to use the bathroom! I don't care about your schedule when my bladder feels like it is going to explode!" said Quinn, pulling into a parking spot and shutting off the engine. Rachel was frantically crossing things out on her itinerary and was writing the adjustments in. Quinn sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt before heading into the building.

A few minutes later she emerged with two coffees in her hand and grinned at Rachel, who was standing outside of the driver's side door. She handed the shivering girl one of the paper cups.

"Locked yourself out, didn't you?" asked Quinn as she pressed the unlock button on the key remote. Rachel scowled before climbing into the driver's seat.

"You know, we wouldn't have to make so many stops if you would stop drinking so much coffee, Quinn Fabray," said Rachel, pulling the car back onto the highway.

"I think you'd rather us stop every couple of hours instead of me falling asleep at the wheel," said Quinn defiantly. "Someone spent the whole night kicking me because they were nervous for their final." Rachel's cheeks blushed and she quickly changed the subject.

It was past midnight when Quinn pulled her car into the Berrys' driveway. Her stomach was growling loudly and Rachel was asleep in the passenger seat, her playlist still going strong.

"Rach, you're home," she said softly as she stroked the dark brown hair. Rachel stirred slightly, whining about not wanting to get up yet. Hiram and Leroy appeared on the front porch wearing pajama pants and robes and Quinn waved them over for help with getting Rachel out of the car.

Once Leroy had carried Rachel upstairs and had deposited her in the bed, he joined Quinn and Hiram downstairs. Quinn's stomach growled loudly again and Hiram laughed.

"Did our daughter keep you on a strict travel schedule? She has a tendency to do that." Quinn nodded sheepishly as she collapsed on the bar stool at the counter.

"Well let me throw together something for you. How does blueberry waffles sound?" asked Leroy. Just the thought of them made her stomach growl again and Leroy grinned at her before pulling the ingredients out of the cabinet.

"So, tell me, Quinn. How did you end up in New York picking up our little princess?" asked Hiram curiously. Rachel had been very vague on the phone when she told them that she had cancelled her flight and would be driving back with Quinn instead.

"Finn showed up at her door professing his love and questioning our relationship," Quinn replied simply. She knew that the Berry men valued honesty, but she didn't feel like going into all of the gritty details of the past couple of days.

"That boy still isn't giving up?" asked Hiram incredulously. Quinn shook her head. "I know he was my baby girl's first love, but I'm glad that she ended it. I was afraid he would follow her to New York and she wouldn't be focused on her dreams."

Quinn contemplated for a minute. She wondered if the Berry men approved of her dating Rachel now. Did her spontaneous trip to New York in the middle of Rachel's finals make her look like she was keeping Rachel from achieving her dreams?

"Quinn, sweetie, stop having a mental breakdown about our approval." Quinn's cheeks flushed at Hiram basically reading her mind. "You are good for our Rachel. You have been since you stepped into her life as a friend. Unlike Finn, you have your own dreams to pursue and I know you will both help one another achieve them rather than inhibit them." Quinn nodded furiously.

"Rachel mentioned that you're applying for an internship in the City for the summer," piped up Leroy as he pulled the first batch of waffles out of the waffle iron.

"Yeah, I never expected to even have the opportunity, but I was talking to my photography teacher about my future career paths and he has a good connection with a guy that does photojournalism. Since my major is English with a focus in journalism, he figured it would be a perfect fit for me." The enthusiasm in Quinn's voice was unmistakable and the men smiled down at her as Leroy put a stack of waffles down in front of her.

"Rachel also mentioned that she is looking for theatre internships and is going to audition for some shows so that she can work in New York for the summer as well," said Leroy. Quinn's eyes popped up from her waffles at that comment. Quinn figured that Rachel would want to stay in the City for the summer if Quinn would be there, but she had never discussed her plans. "Even if you don't know it, you're a good motivator for her. A summer spent working in the business would be a lot more beneficial than spending the summer in Lima," he commented. Quinn nodded her agreement as she popped the last forkful of waffle into her mouth.

"Do you mind if I just stay here tonight? I don't want to wake my mom up at this hour."

"Of course, sweetheart." Hiram picked up her duffel bag from by the front door and carried it up to Rachel's room for her.

"Thanks, Hiram," she said with a tired smile.

"Goodnight, Quinn."

She pushed open the door quietly to see Rachel tucked under the comforter, snoring softly. Quinn pulled pajamas and her toothbrush out of her bag and got ready quickly in Rachel's bathroom before climbing under the covers next to the brunette. As soon as Quinn was settled, Rachel rolled her body into Quinn and they fell asleep in the warmth of one another's arms.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn slept away Saturday morning. The drive had completely exhausted her. When she finally opened her eyes, Rachel was gone. Quinn hugged the brunette's pillow against her, inhaling the familiar scent.

She rolled over to check the time and saw a pink sticky note stuck over the face of the clock and pulled it off to read it.

_Hey baby. I hope you slept well. I had to run a couple of holiday errands with my Dad. Your mom is looking forward to seeing you. I'll call you later to figure out when we're going to Puck's tonight. Love you!_

She would have loved a quiet afternoon cuddled in bed with Rachel, but instead Quinn found herself in the middle of a busy mall with her mom. Judy was ecstatic to see Quinn and had insisted on taking her for a big lunch and an afternoon of Christmas shopping. The Berrys celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas and they had invited the Fabrays over for Christmas Eve, so Judy wanted help picking out gifts for the Berrys.

They walked from store to store, slowly accumulating shopping bags as they went. Quinn had already finished shopping for her mom and Rachel while at school, so she picked up her gifts for the Berry men and her sister's family. Santana and Brittany's gifts would have to wait until she wasn't with her mom because she didn't think her mom would approve of the crude gag gifts they got each other every year. With their arms loaded, the Fabray women finally headed home.

Once she had put the presents in the corner of her closets with the others, Quinn collapsed onto her bed and pulled out her phone to see two messages.

**S: Britts and I just got home. What are you and the dwarf up to?**

Quinn wanted to scold Santana for calling Rachel a dwarf but she didn't feel like dealing with Santana teasing her for her over protective nature, so she just responded about going to Puck's later.

**R:** **Sorry that you woke up alone. You cut into my shopping time in New York and I needed to get your Christmas present. Come over before we go to Noah's?**

Rather than replying, Quinn hit her speed dial to call Rachel. Within minutes she had plans to go to Rachel's as soon as she could and she showered at a neck breaking pace, desperate to actually get to spend some down time with her girlfriend before they saw everybody later. She stopped briefly in the kitchen to tell her mom that where she was going for the evening and that Rachel was going to sleepover that night before scurrying out the front door and heading towards Rachel's house.

When Quinn finally reached Rachel's bedroom, she was greeted with the brunette wearing only a bra and a pair of skintight jeans. Her hair was already straightened and was falling gracefully over her shoulders. She was facing her closet and was singing along loudly with the music emanating from her speakers. Quinn tiptoed across the room and wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist. Rachel squealed in surprise and spun in Quinn's arms before placing a wet kiss on her lips.

"I need your help picking out a shirt," Rachel said, turning her face to the closet again.

"I like you better without a shirt," said Quinn as she pressed her lips to Rachel's bare shoulder.

"Quinn, we need to get ready to go to Noah's," Rachel protested, trying to ignore the warm kisses Quinn was peppering on the nape of her neck.

"I am ready," mumbled Quinn, not wanting to take her mouth away from Rachel's bare skin.

"Quinn Fabray, you have never gone out in public wearing a sweatshirt with your hair thrown up carelessly and I doubt you're starting tonight," chastised Rachel. Quinn sighed and helped Rachel rifle through potential outfits.

"I could have sworn that I had weeded out all of these atrocities," said Quinn, pulling out a sweater with a large reindeer on it.

"You and your minions destroyed most of them with your slushie baths, but I kept one safe to remind me where I came from when I make it big." Rachel fingered the sweater, lost in thought. Quinn's cheeks burned a deep red. She knew Rachel had forgiven her a long time ago, but she still was having trouble forgiving herself.

Rachel pulled a low cut light blue sweater from a hanger and held it up for Quinn's approval. Once Quinn nodded agreeably, she pulled it over her head before looking pointedly at Quinn and silently chastising her to get dressed. Quinn sighed loudly before pulling a simple white blouse out of her bag and replacing her baggy Abercrombie sweatshirt with it. She pulled her hair loose, letting it fall around her face in messy waves. She walked over to Rachel's vanity and picked up the straightening iron, running it through her short hair until she had coaxed every last strand into place. Rachel emerged from the bathroom with her makeup done.

"Wow," was all Quinn could muster. She knew Rachel had always been pretty underneath the unflattering sweaters, but since Rachel had grown into herself, Quinn had to admit that the brunette dripped sex appeal.

"Wow yourself," replied Rachel with a sexy grin, moving closer to Quinn. She reached up and ran her fingers through the silky blonde hair. "Let's go before I throw you down on the bed and have my wicked way with you."

"I like that plan better," grumbled Quinn, catching Rachel's lips with her own and letting her fingers tangle into the brunette locks. Rachel kissed her back for a minute before pulling back. She took Quinn's hand gently and led her out the door, feigning deafness towards Quinn's protests.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Baby mama!" exclaimed Puck as Quinn and Rachel walked through the front door. He pulled Quinn into a rib-cracking hug. "Can we hang out just us tomorrow?" he asked quietly in her ear before pulling away. She bit her lip and nodded softly before moving so he could greet Rachel.

Once Puck was finished giving Rachel a "proper Jewish greeting" that involved Quinn slapping his hands away from Rachel's perfect ass, Quinn hastily took Rachel's hand and led her into the living room.

Mike and Sam were playing Madden on Xbox while Tina, Mercedes, and Kurt were cuddled on the couch gossiping. The rest of the glee clubbers hadn't arrived yet, so they walked over the join the girls. They were greeted warmly and got through the obligatory small talk about college before the conversation steered to the inevitable.

"Let's talk about the real stuff," said Mercedes. "Girl, I hear you nearly tore off Finn's testicles when he showed up in New York and tried to lay claim on Rachel." Quinn's cheeks went pink. She knew Kurt had already filled them in on what details he had gotten from Finn, but the truth was that Rachel had prevented her from going into full Ice Quinn mode. She figured they wouldn't want to know the gritty details, but she couldn't resist a snarky comment.

"It only took a few loud moans of pleasure from the bedroom to make Finn realize he couldn't given her what she needed the way I could," replied Quinn with a smug smile. Rachel slapped her lightly on the arm and the girls squealed with pleasure at this new shiny piece of gossip.

"Why don't you tell us exactly how you put Hudson in his place?" piped up Puck with an impish grin.

"Only in your dreams, Noah," said Rachel, crossing her arms across the chest.

"There's much more than that in my dreams," Puck responded, dodging the punch Quinn threw his way. Sam and Mike were obviously fantasizing too; their mouths were hanging wide open. It took slaps on their arms from their respective girlfriends to snap them back to reality.

"We're here, bitches!" bellowed Santana from the foyer. Thankfully their arrival took the attention off of Rachel and Quinn's loud sex life. Brittany had flown past Santana and wrapped her arms around Rachel as she sat down on the smaller girl's lap.

"Britts, you're crushing the dwarf," said Santana, obviously not pleased at the sight of her girlfriend wrapped so intimately with someone else.

"Geez, Lopez, jealous much?" asked Quinn with a smirk.

"I'm not the one who drove 80 miles to cut off a guy's balls because he was talking to my girl," retorted Santana quickly.

"Sanny, you promised you would be nice. You know I'm yours and Quinn knows Rachel is hers I don't know why you have to get so protective." Brittany's words shut them both up. Santana turned on her heel and headed to the kitchen to make herself a strong drink.

A few hours later, the rest of their friends had shown up and pretty much everybody was wasted. Finn had left early when the teasing about his inability to please his ex girlfriends. Once he sulked right out the door, Quinn finally let loose a little bit and now had a growing buzz.

"Everybody gather round!" said Puck enthusiastically as he twirled an empty bottle in his hand. "It's time to make things interesting!" Quinn outwardly groaned, but allowed Rachel to pull her into the circle despite her better judgment.

The first few rounds were mild despite Puck's efforts to take it further with Tina. There had been a very awkward peck between Sam and Blaine and nobody protested it not being a real kiss. Sam immediately spun and landed on Brittany. Santana ended that kiss as short as possible and pushed the bottle into Brittany's hand for her to spin. Magically, it landed on Santana like it always seemed to for Brittany.

The boys were more than pleased at the intense make-out session that ensued. It finally took Quinn tossing a glass of water at Santana, which caused the Latina to rage at her in rapid Spanish for a few moments before Brittany soothed her and handed her the bottle. It landed on Quinn and Santana smirked at the blonde.

"Ready for round two, blondie?" she asked with a gleam in her eye. That comment shocked most of the room. It seemed for once that Kurt hadn't gossiped about every detail of their summer getaway to the lake. Santana noticed that her comment had gotten a rise out of the crowd and smiled smugly. "Was it not common knowledge that it was my sweet lady kisses that pulled your pressed ass out of your very deep closet?" Quinn glared at her, deciding how to retort.

She reached across the circle and pulled Santana's neck, forcing their lips to crash against one another. Santana gasped in surprise, which left Quinn with access to her mouth and she ran her tongue roughly against Santana's, eliciting a small moan from the Latina. With that, Quinn pulled away.

"By the way, Berry is a much better kisser than you," said Quinn, just loud enough for the group to hear before settling back down next to Rachel. Rachel looked stunned and on the verge of lecturing her all at once. Quinn just kissed her cheek softly before taking a swig of her beer and spinning the bottle once again.

By 2 a.m. the group had diminished to just Quinn, Rachel, Santana, Brittany, and Puck. Despite her random snarky comments all night, Santana seemed to be genuinely glad to be back around her hometown friends. She had aced her first semester at UCLA and she talked about it animatedly as Brittany slept in her lap. Santana had gone into school as an open major and had decided to major in pre-law. Apparently the idea of bitching out people all day was appealing to her. Brittany was choreographing more than dancing these days, but she was getting to work with some up and coming singers and was breaking into the business.

Puck and Rachel were sitting a little ways away, chatting softly. The girl would catch her eye often and smile wholeheartedly before turning back to her conversation. Puck had stayed in Lima, but on the whole he seemed happy to Quinn. He was taking a couple of classes in business at the local community college and Burt Hummel had gotten him working in his shop. Quinn was looking forward to spending the following day with Puck, but she knew he wouldn't have asked unless it was important. Tomorrow was the first night of Hanukkah and she knew his mom wouldn't be pleased that he was spending time with the very-Christian girl that mothered her illegitimate granddaughter.

Quinn was yawing loudly at this point and hardly listening to Santana's rambling about the west coast. Finally, Rachel noticed and dragged her up to the spare bedroom. She had insisted they stay the night at Noah's since Quinn had consumed alcohol earlier in the evening and Quinn wasn't very pleased with this arrangement. She knew Rachel wouldn't allow any funny business in someone else's house and she had been waiting all night to get Rachel out of that sweater. Instead, she pulled on some borrowed clothes of Puck's and climbed into bed with nothing but a chaste goodnight kiss and a warm body curled against her under the covers.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Puck and Quinn were sitting on the floor of her bedroom in the late afternoon the next day. They had gone out to lunch and it was obvious that something was bothering him, so she invited him back for a little while. It was funny to think that he had fathered her child, but this was the first time she had ever let him into her bedroom. It wasn't often that her boyfriends made it into this holy sanctuary, but Rachel practically spent half of her life lounged on the large, ornate bed.

"What's going on with you, Puckerman?" she asked, sick of tiptoeing around the real reason for this get together.

"Shelby contacted me right after Thanksgiving," he said quietly.

"What did she want?" Quinn asked, a million scenarios running through her head.

"She wanted to work out all of the crap that had come between us and Beth last year. I'm so sorry that I fucked things up for us, Q. But she wants to give us another chance." Puck's eyes were watery. Quinn had spent many months hating him for sleeping with Shelby, which ultimately led to Shelby giving them both less and less time with their daughter.

"When can we see her?" asked Quinn quietly. She didn't want to get her hopes up like she had so many times before. But Beth would be three in a couple of months; Quinn didn't want to lose any more time with her daughter.

"Shelby didn't have a contact number for you at college, but she wanted you to call. I think she really respected you for not spilling about her and I and she seems to trust you more than me these days," he said, the torment obvious in his voice. She at least got to escape her past most of the time at Yale. Puck was still in this same loser town every day dwelling on the mistakes he had made. Puck held out his phone with Shelby's number on the screen. Quinn took a deep breath before pressing call.

"Hello?" asked a woman on the other end. The voice was familiar and it made Quinn's heart beat faster.

"Hi, Shelby?" she asked, even though she was sure it was her.

"Yes, who is this?" asked Shelby on the other end of the line. Quinn could hear a child babbling in the background and she felt the tears stinging her eyes.

"It's Quinn Fabray. Noah told me to call you about seeing Beth again."

"Hi, Quinn, sweetie. I know there's probably a lot going on in your mind about this sudden change. Maybe we should sit down and talk about it all." Shelby seemed hesitant.

"Shelby, no offense, but I don't need to talk it out. I understand that Beth is your daughter to raise and I'm not a crazy high school student anymore. I have a life in front of me; one I never would have had if I hadn't given Beth up. But I do want to see her. I don't want to miss out on her whole life." Quinn had tears streaming down her face now and Puck moved over to hug her shoulders tightly.

"I want Beth to know you. I've always wanted that. Rachel deserved to have a mom like the one you want to be. Maybe you could babysit for me for a couple of hours this week? You can bring Puck if you would like." Quinn could feel the grin spread on her face at the older woman's words.

"We'd love to. Just give me a call with details later in the week. Thanks, Shelby," she said with conviction. There were no ulterior motives this time; Quinn simply wanted to get to know her beautiful daughter.

They said goodbye and hung up. Puck pulled her in closer as she sobbed, stroking her hair softly.

"She asked us to babysit this week, Puck. We're going to get to see our baby girl." She choked out the words against Puck's shoulder and he just held her as she got control of her emotions. "We're going to see our Beth again."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Quinn's strict Christian upbringing left her with little to no knowledge of Jewish customs. She had been close with Puck for years and spent most of her time at the Berry household her senior year, but this would be her first official Hanukkah experience. Quinn loved the Berrys and she figured that their holidays would be just as warm and inviting as dinner always was at their house.

Because only Hiram was Jewish, Rachel got to celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. It was a long-standing tradition in the Berry house that Hanukkah gifts were avoid materialistic items and that on Christmas, you would receive one major materialistic present. The Berry men had insisted that Quinn didn't have to do all of that for them, but she had helped Rachel come with her gifts to them. Even Rachel had insisted that Quinn did not have to do every night of Hanukkah for her either, but Quinn wouldn't hear it. She had spent hours trying to come up with things to give Rachel. Gifts in her house growing up were typically in the form of a check or something very generic because her parents truly didn't know Quinn and her sister Frannie well enough to get them thoughtful gifts.

Once dinner was cleared away, Quinn found herself in the living room with the three Berrys, the youngest bouncing happily on the couch besides her holding a cup of vegan hot chocolate.

"Daddy, it's time for the menorah and presents!" she squealed with delight and Quinn giggled softly at the brunette's obvious joy. Hiram lit the Shamash and handed it to Rachel so she could light the first candle. Once it was glowing brightly, she returned the Shamash to its own holder and took her seat next to Quinn again.

Leroy passed a small box to Quinn and a larger one to Rachel. Rachel tore hers open in a flash to reveal a framed photograph of Rachel standing in front of NYADA. Next to it in the frame was her acceptance letter. Her fathers had always documented her accomplishments and the basement wall was full of frames similar to this one. She hugged both of her dads and turned to watch Quinn open her little box. Inside was a very intricately crafted ticket that read "This ticket entitles you to have full veto power on the movie night of your choice." Quinn laughed appreciatively and thanked Rachel's fathers. It was Leroy's way of helping her escape another long night of musicals that Hiram and Rachel repeated every line to. Rachel gave her fathers a DVD compilation of her performances since last December. Apparently this was the standard first night gift.

Rachel leaped out of her seat to get her gift to Quinn. She unwrapped it carefully much to Rachel's chagrin and exposed a large frame, similar to the one Rachel's fathers had given her. Quinn's Yale early decision letter was pressed neatly and was tucked in next to a blown up picture of Quinn standing at the Yale University sign in a Yale sweatshirt on campus. Rachel had made her take the picture on their way to the football game on one of her first visits, saying that she would need it for her memories. Below the picture there was a small card with Rachel's handwriting that read, "This achievement was born out of your undying determination and you truly earned it. You're going to do great things, Quinn Fabray. I'm so proud of you. Yours, Rachel Berry." There was a small gold star next to Rachel's name and the blonde smiled widely. It was rare that anybody in the Fabray household told her they were proud, but Rachel had put it into writing for her to keep forever.

"Thanks, Rach, I love it," she said with a genuine smile and kissed the girl softly on the lips before handing her the wrapped package next to her.

Rachel tore off the pristine wrapping immediately and tossed it haphazardly over her shoulder to look at her present. She took in the collage that Quinn had worked so many hours in the photography studio to get it right. All of the pictures were printed in black and white. Some were stills of places in New York City, others of Rachel alone and a few of her and Rachel together. She had refinished some of her pictures from senior year so there were ones of Rachel on the stage for glee and West Side Story. In the middle, she had taken a photograph of an index card that simply read "You will always be my gold star."

"Quinn, this is amazing," said Rachel, launching herself into the blonde's arms and peppering her face with kisses. Rachel's dads were examining the collage with impressed looks on their faces.

"You're really talented, Quinn," said Leroy, taking in the collage. Rachel now had her head snuggled into Quinn's neck and Quinn wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

"Thanks, Leroy. It took forever but I'm pleased with how it came out."

Next came the movies. Quinn didn't need to use her veto ticket tonight because Leroy was in charge of the selection and she welcomed the romantic comedies that he chose. She let Rachel settle into her arms as they watched, lightly stroking her hair. Quinn hadn't had a chance to tell Rachel about her conversation with Shelby yet, but she knew she couldn't keep this from her. Shelby was Rachel's mother, her estranged one at that. Quinn wasn't purposely avoiding the subject, but she hadn't gotten any alone time with Rachel all day and she didn't want to ruin the mood for the first night of Hanukkah. Puck and Quinn were going to be watching Beth on Tuesday, which was only two days away. She knew she was going to have to tell Rachel tonight.

Finally the Berry men decided to retire and left the girls alone in the living room. As much as she hated to do it, she woke Rachel who had been sleeping with her head in Quinn's lap. The brunette grumbled unhappily for a minute before opening her eyes to see Quinn looking down on her.

"Can we go up to your room, sweetie?" asked Quinn and Rachel nodded, rubbing her tired eyes before pulling herself up from the couch.

When they were settled into Rachel's room, Quinn arranged them so she could look directly at Rachel's face.

"What's wrong, Quinnie? Did you not like your gift?" Rachel said, seeing the worry on Quinn's face. Quinn chuckled nervously.

"No, nothing like that. Rach, I talked to Shelby today."

"Oh?" was all that squeaked out of Rachel. She didn't know what to do with Quinn's vague news.

"She contacted Puck a few weeks ago saying that she wanted us to have another chance with Beth. They talked out a lot of their issues, but Puck is allowed over there only if I'm with him right now. She said we can watch Beth on Tuesday afternoon for a few hours."

"Quinn, that's wonderful. I know how much you've missed her."

"Are you okay with all of this, Rach? I mean, Shelby is your mother and she's raising my daughter. It is all kinds of backwards and I can see how it could hurt you."

"Shelby and I never got the chance to have the relationship I would have wanted. Of course that hurts. But I would never take that chance away from Beth to get to know her birth mother, no matter what the situation was. This isn't about me, Quinn. It's about you getting to know your daughter and being in her life in a way Shelby was never in mine."

"I know, but you mean the world to me. I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation either," said Quinn quietly. She knew it was too early to ask, but she wanted Rachel to meet Beth. They were the two most important people in her life. Shelby and Rachel's rocky relationship complicated the situation and Quinn just didn't have the heart to ask Rachel to accompany her to Shelby's house to see everything that Beth had that Rachel never would.

"I would love to meet Beth someday. Right now you and Noah need to focus on building your relationship with her and when the time comes, I can handle Shelby for the sake of getting to know your daughter. Who, as creepy as it sounds, is kind of my little sister," Rachel said, trying to reassure the blonde. She pulled Quinn into her and held her tight. Quinn wasn't good with emotions and Rachel knew that Beth was the one thing that truly forced the blonde to deal with her crazy emotions.

"I love so much, Rachel Berry," whispered Quinn into Rachel's hair.

"Love you back, Quinnie. Can you stay the night?" she asked softly. Quinn shook her head from side to side.

"I promised my mom that I would sleep in my own bed tonight. Are we still on tomorrow morning though?"

"Of course."

"Good, because I want to give you your Hanukkah gift early." Rachel looked at her in surprised, but didn't protest. She liked gifts too much. She kissed Quinn softly. Quinn could feel Rachel pouring her love into the simple gesture and she had never felt more content.

When Quinn emerged from her bedroom around ten the next morning, she was greeted to the smell of blueberry pancakes and the sight of her mom humming as she flitted around the kitchen in an apron. It still amazed her how different her mom was now than the mom she remembered from her childhood.

"Good morning, Quinnie!" she said brightly, flipping golden brown pancakes onto a plate. "You're just in time!"

"Uh, thanks," said Quinn as her mom put a heaping plate in front of her at the counter. "Mom, there's no way I can eat this much."

"You're looking too skinny, dear. College is not feeding you well enough apparently." Quinn's fork clattered to her plate.

Her whole life had been about body image. Never once had she heard that she was too skinny. Instead she got asked questions like "Did you skip your Cheerios diet today?" Quinn had worked so hard to lose the weight from her childhood and keep up her Cheerio physique, even after being pregnant. Derek would joke at school that doing her workout routine was worse than his college lacrosse regimen and she would often leave him completely winded.

"Can you please be home for dinner tonight, Quinnie?" her mom asked, refilling her own coffee mug.

"It's Hanukkah, I was going to eat at the Berrys' tonight," said Quinn.

"It's kind of important, Quinn. Rachel can come over too if you would like. Just for dinner and then you can go." Quinn knew there was no way out of this. She had hardly seen her mom since she got home and she had spent an extra 5 days away from home to be in New York with Rachel.

"Fine. But only dinner and then I need to go to the Berrys'," replied Quinn, eating a second pancake but hardly making a dent on the pile that occupied her plate.

As soon as she was done, she took a shower and dressed to go to Rachel's. She was most nervous about today. She had decided to play the song for Rachel as her gift today and she had hardly practiced since the semester ended. She had gotten a guitar from Puck when they had returned to Lima and it was hidden in the back of her closet so that Rachel wouldn't see it and start asking a million questions. Quinn's mom had been intrigued by her daughter's new hobby and Quinn had practiced the song for her a few times the other afternoon. But none of that would matter if it didn't sound good for Rachel.

Once she was showered and dressed, Quinn pulled the guitar from its case and sat down at her desk chair. She tuned the guitar like Derek had shown her and rummaged through her belongings to find a pick before strumming slowly. She had practiced the song a million times over the last month. In all honesty, it was the only song she could play fluidly at all. She had been trying to keep her left hand away from Rachel so that she wouldn't notice the hard calluses that now permanently occupied the edges of her fingertips. It was a hard secret to keep, but hopefully it was going to pay off.

She called goodbye to her mom and headed out the front door, sending Rachel a quick text that she was on her way. The whole way to Rachel's house she nervously drummed on the steering wheel, playing the chords over and over again in her head.

The front door flew open before she had an opportunity to knock. The Berry men were at work and Rachel was wearing a simple dress with black leggings and her hair fell on her shoulders in its natural waves. She looked stunning and Quinn told her so.

"Quinn, why do you have that?" asked Rachel, finally noticing the guitar case sitting at Quinn's feet.

"It's part of your Hanukkah gift today," said Quinn nervously, moving into the house and leading Rachel into the living room. "Sit," she said and Rachel sat on the edge of the couch, eying Quinn and the guitar case curiously.

"Is there a band coming or something?" she asked, completely baffled by what Quinn had planned.

"No, just me. I learned something for you." Quinn pulled the sleek guitar out of the case and fished her pick out of her jeans pocket. Rachel was looking at her with wide eyes. Quinn sat down in the armchair across from Rachel and took a deep breath before arranging her fingers on strings.

_You're stuck on me and my laughing eyes_

_I can't pretend though I try to hide_

_I like you. I like you_

Quinn heard Rachel sigh, but was too focused on not messing up to pull her gaze away from the strings yet.

_I think I felt my heart skip a beat_

_I'm standing here and I can hardly breathe_

_You got me. Yeah, you got me_

_The way you take my hand is just so sweet_

_And that crooked smile of yours_

_It knocks me off my feet_

Quinn was getting more comfortable as she moved into the chorus and she looked up slightly to see Rachel swaying on the couch, completely enthralled.

_Oh, I just can't get enough_

_How much do I need to fill me up?_

_It feels so good, it must be love_

_It's everything that I've been dreaming of_

_I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin_

'_Cause no matter what I do_

_My heart is filled with you_

_I can't imagine what it'd be like_

_Living each day in this life_

_Without you, without you_

_One look from you_

_I know you understand_

_This mess we're in you know is just so out of hand_

_Oh I just can't get enough_

_How much do I need to fill me up?_

_It feels so good, it must be love_

_It's everything that I've been dreaming of_

_I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin_

'_Cause no matter what I do_

_Oh, my heart is filled with you_

_I hope we always feel this way_

_And in my heart I know you'll always stay_

_Oh, I just can't get enough_

_How much do I need to fill me up?_

_It feels so good, it must be love_

_I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin_

'_Cause no matter what I do_

_Oh, my heart is filled with you._

Rachel jumped up and clapped enthusiastically as the last chord resonated. She ran over to hug Quinn and the blonde clumsily removed the guitar from her lap before Rachel jumped on her.

"Where did you learn how to play the guitar?" asked Rachel, now straddling Quinn's lap with her arms wrapped around the blonde's neck.

"I'm not very good yet. Derek has been teaching me since Thanksgiving," said Quinn, smiling back at Rachel's shining face.

"Well, I never realized how sexy it was to watch a girl play guitar," said Rachel huskily, her breath warm against Quinn's lips. Quinn's heart raced at Rachel's voice and she pushed their lips together breathlessly.

"My mom is insisting I go home for dinner. Can you come?" Quinn said in between kisses as they tried to catch their breath.

"I'll text my dad and see. Why is she insisting on it?" Rachel asked, rocking lightly on Quinn's lap.

"No idea," muttered Quinn, kissing Rachel's neck as she texted her dad.

Rachel's phone sounded with the response almost immediately.

"He said it's fine as long as we come back here afterwards for Hanukkah," she said, pulling Quinn's lips back to her own. "But right now we have an empty house and I need to show my girlfriend my appreciation for her talented fingers." Quinn groaned and let Rachel lead her up the stairs and into her bed.

Quinn was not happy to hear Rachel's alarm go off. The brunette had stuck to her words and had spent the better part of the afternoon showing Quinn her appreciation for her sexy guitar skills. But the alarm signaled their need to put clothes back on before Rachel's dads got home from work. They took a quick shower together in Rachel's bathroom, struggling to keep their hands to themselves. Quinn couldn't help but admire Rachel's bare ass and she tugged clothes on quickly.

Almost as soon as they were dressed, they heard the front door open and Hiram yell a cheerful hello up the stairs. Quinn couldn't help but giggle nervously. Despite the openness in the Berry household, Quinn still felt like she was defiling their precious daughter in these situations. Rachel saw the look on Quinn's face and pierced her with a sultry gaze. Quinn gulped audibly as Rachel sashayed out of the room, wiggling her ass as she went. Knowing that she had no other choice, Quinn followed her out of the room.

The Fabray house was buzzing with energy when the girls showed up. Judy was wearing a flattering black cocktail dress that she complemented with a string of pearls and perfect hair. She was singing happily as she took a vegetable lasagna and a regular lasagna out of the oven and placed them on the cooling rack.

"Mom?" Quinn said curiously, leaning against the doorframe of the expansive kitchen.

"Quinn, dear! Oh, and Rachel! Glad to see you both. Why don't you go freshen up and then come help me with dinner?" said Judy quickly before spinning back around and putting her attention into a bowl that looked like brownie batter.

Rachel looked at Quinn's with questioning eyes, but the blonde just shrug before leading the way to her bedroom.

"What is going on with your mom?" asked Rachel as soon as the bedroom door was closed.

"No freaking clue. I told you that she was being very insistent that I be home for this." Quinn walked over to her closet to pull out something a little dressier than her jeans and worn-in sweater. She pulled a simple navy blue dress and silver flats out of her closet and turned on her hair straightener.

"Am I dressed up enough for this dinner?" asked Rachel self-consciously. Quinn would have said no if her dad had still lived home because he insisted on them being properly dressed for the one hour they spent together a day, but since it had become just Quinn and Judy, typically jeans were fine for dinner. Rachel was wearing one of her sinfully short skirts with a simple white blouse. Quinn had talked her out of an argyle sweater vest earlier.

"You look fantastic, Rachel," Quinn said earnestly, admiring the long expanse of leg exposed from under the skirt.

She sat down at her vanity to fix her hair, while Rachel scrolled through Quinn's music library on her laptop, pausing every once in a while to sing the opening bars of the song before moving on.

"Are you girls ready yet? I need your help down here!" called Judy. Quinn yelled back to tell her they needed a few more minutes. Her hair was done, but she couldn't go endure a long dinner without kissing her girlfriend senseless first.

Five minutes later, Quinn found herself straddling Rachel's hips on her bed when Judy rapped impatiently on the door.

"Girls, I really need your help, please." Quinn sighed before pulling herself up and straightening her dress and flattening her hair. She swung the door open to find Judy looking panicked.

"Did you burn the house down or something?" Quinn asked sarcastically.

"No, but he's going to be here soon," Judy replied before walking back downstairs.

Rachel snuck up behind Quinn and wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist.

"Who is he?" she asked, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Quinn's exposed neck.

"Again, I have no freaking clue. This house has turned into an episode of _The Twilight Zone_ today," Quinn replied.

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves sitting in the living room, waiting for the mystery guest. The table had been set to Judy's standards, the salad had been made, and the lasagna was being kept warm. Judy was cradling a glass of sparkling water and pacing around the living room, straightening throw pillows and picture frames.

When the doorbell rang, Judy let out a little squeak and Quinn looked at her with an incredulous look.

"I'll get it!" said Judy quickly before Quinn even had a chance to react. Quinn and Rachel caught one another's gaze as they listened to the front door open and her mom enthusiastically greeted someone with a deep voice. Judy appeared with the man in tow at the doorway of the living room a minute later.

"Quinnie, this is Ted, my new beau," said Judy nervously gesturing the man beside her. He was about the same height as her dad, but that was the only thing they had in common. He had dark, wavy hair and an olive complexion. His arms rippled with muscles that were evident even through his dress shirt. But most of all, Quinn was caught off guard by his warm smile and the hand that he had linked around her mother's waist. The Fabray in her forced her to pull herself together. She stood and walked towards the man.

"Hi, Ted, I'm Quinn and this is my girlfriend, Rachel," Quinn said, gesturing to the small brunette that was standing slightly behind her. This was Quinn's judge of character: how would small town Ted react to his new girlfriend's daughter being a lesbian.

"Nice to meet you both," he said with a smile, holding his hand out to each of them in turn to shake.

"I met Ted at one of the PFLAG meetings. His nephew is gay and he has been going with his brother," Judy said matter-of-factly. She obviously knew that Quinn was worried about acceptance. "Why don't we head into the dining room for dinner and we can talk more?"

Quinn took Rachel's hand and walked into the dining room, taking the head of the table where she had sat since her father had vacated it. Rachel sat down on her left and Judy offered Ted the other head of the table before going to the kitchen to retrieve the lasagna.

Within a few minutes they were all settled at the table. Judy held up her hands for grace and they followed suit. Quinn always felt guilty for this when Rachel ate over since she was technically Jewish, but Rachel was always a good sport about it.

"Your mom was telling me that you're studying English at Yale, Quinn. That's very impressive," said Ted conversationally.

"Yeah, I'm focusing on Journalism. In fact, my photography professor is trying to set me up for a photojournalism internship in New York City for the summer. My minor is art and photography, so I'm really interested." Judy seemed taken aback. She wasn't sure if it was because Quinn hadn't told her about the possible internship yet or because Quinn was being so sweet and honest with Ted.

"It's wonderful to see such a lovely young lady with such admirable ambitions," he said with a smile. Normally, Quinn would be looking for the sarcasm behind that statement, but Ted seemed to be so genuine.

"What is it that you do, Ted?" asked Quinn.

"By profession, I'm a lawyer, but I've been becoming increasingly involved with the ACLU since my nephew came out as gay," he said, lifting his fork of lasagna to his mouth. "Judy, this is divine," he said, smiling widely at her.

"My fathers are very involved in the ACLU," spoke up Rachel.

"Yeah, they helped me get involved. They have come to some of the PFLAG meetings with Judy. Their daughter is just as lovely as they described her. I hear you're studying to be the next big thing on Broadway," said Ted, focusing on the tiny diva.

"She was born to be under those bright lights," said Quinn adoringly and Judy aww'd her quietly before she was met with an icy glare from her teenage daughter.

"Well, I can't wait to see your first show, Rachel."

"I appreciate your confidence in me, Ted. Other than my fathers and Quinn, most people think that I'm being unrealistic and should be pursuing a more respectable career. I was salutatorian behind Quinn, so I have my intelligence to fall back on if necessary, but I am fully committed to making it on Broadway and I typically get what I want." Quinn laughed at Rachel's little speech. It was true; Rachel may dream big, but she put in the effort to actually achieve them.

"Are you liking NYADA thus far, Rachel?" asked Judy.

"It is fantastically competitive. For the first time, I am surrounded by people that have the same interest and drive as I do. However, I do think that most of them lack the heart that I possess for the performing arts. I got a mentor for this upcoming semester to help me prepare for auditions. I'm hoping to land a small role in an off-Broadway production for the summer."

Quinn's eyes flew to Rachel's. She knew the brunette wanted to stay in New York for the summer so that they could be there together, but she hadn't realized that Rachel had already been pursuing that goal. The diva smiled deeply at her before returning to her meal.

The evening went off without a hitch and Quinn couldn't help but notice how genuinely happy her mother seemed to be. She had worried about her when she was home for Thanksgiving because Judy seemed depressed about living alone in that big house while Quinn was away. It was the reason that Quinn hadn't told her about the possible internship; she didn't want to make her mother upset that she didn't want to come home to Lima for the summer vacation.

Quinn and Rachel skipped out on dessert, having promised to return to the Berrys' for Hanukkah, but Judy and Ted seemed perfectly happy to have a quiet night in together. Before they left, Quinn hugged her mother tight and whispered in her ear that she liked Ted. She could see Judy's face light up with the pleasure of getting Quinn's approval.

The Berry men were tucked into the living room with mugs of eggnog when the girls returned and immediately sprung into action. Rachel insisted that it was Quinn's turn to light the menorah and she took the Shamash to light the second candle before present exchanging could occur. Rachel had insisted that Quinn play her song again so that her fathers could hear it. Quinn picked up the guitar and played, letting Rachel take the leads on vocals this time. The Berry men clapped enthusiastically when she finished and she saw how dark Rachel's eyes had gotten. It was going to be a long night before she could get her alone so she looked away and tried to avoid the growing need in her lower abdomen.

Rachel handed her a small package. It was a flipbook of homemade coupons. Quinn read through them. The first few were offers for breakfast in bed and rights to choose a movie. Quinn's cheeks blushed crimson as she continued to flip. The later coupons involved explicit sexual favors and she glared at Rachel, who smirked impishly. Thankfully, Rachel had distracted her fathers with her present to them so Quinn was saved some embarrassment when they didn't ask to see what Rachel had come up with.

Once presents were all finished, Rachel insisted they play a game tonight and Quinn adamantly refused Monopoly after Rachel lost her temper and flipped the board last time when she landed on Quinn's Park Place and lost all of her colorful money. She reluctantly agreed to Scrabble. It was another Berry favorite and Quinn figured all of the large words in Rachel's vocabulary came from studying dictionaries to beat her fathers in this game. She had been refusing to play many games with her after the Monopoly disaster.

Scrabble became cutthroat almost immediately. Quinn played a 34-point word in her first turn and Leroy chuckled loudly, much to Rachel's chagrin. Quinn hadn't graduated valedictorian for nothing. While she didn't flaunt her vocabulary through speech the way Rachel did, she could easily hold her own against the very competitive brunette. It wasn't long before the Berry men resigned themselves to third and fourth place as the girls battled it out. When Quinn played her last word and her total came to three points more than Rachel, Rachel insisted that they recount the points at once.

"Rachel, sweetie, Quinn won fair and square. Why don't you congratulate your girlfriend instead of insinuating that she managed to cheat in some way," said Hiram lightheartedly.

Quinn was teasing Rachel with her eyes and a smug smile and she could tell she was driving the diva insane. She quickly scooped the letter tiles back into the box before Rachel could begin upturning the board and packed it away. With that, Rachel said goodnight to her fathers and stomped up the stairs. Quinn gave her a few minutes to cool down before saying goodnight and heading up behind her.

As soon as she closed the door, Rachel's body was pressed against hers, effectively pinning the blonde to the door. Quinn let out a gasp of surprise and Rachel capitalized on the moment, running her anxious tongue along Quinn's perfectly straight teeth. Quinn gave her full access to her mouth and allowed her own tongue to dance against Rachel's lips. Rachel's hands were against the door on either side of Quinn's head and her abdomen was flush against her. Quinn wiggled her arms loose and gripped firmly onto Rachel's hips while pushing her thigh in between Rachel's legs. Rachel gave a throaty groan and grinded into Quinn's leg, riding her short skirt up even farther.

Quinn pushed her weight into the smaller girl, forcing her to stumble and the unexpected movement, but Rachel held her own, refusing to let Quinn move away from the door. She moved her hands off of the door only long enough to pull Quinn's dress over her head. Quinn's hands were working the buttons of her blouse clumsily, desperate to run her fingers along Rachel's already stiff nipples.

The front of the blouse was open and Rachel wasn't moving her arms to let it fall off of her shoulders, so Quinn palmed her breasts through the material of her bra, pushing roughly against the sensitive peaks. Rachel pushed herself against Quinn, building friction as their bare stomachs grazed against one another and Quinn's thigh pushed tightly against Rachel's core.

"I need you," groaned Quinn into Rachel's mouth, her body on fire. Immediately Rachel's fingers were tugging Quinn's panties down her thighs and as soon as they fell to the floor, two fingers were pushing deep inside her. "Fuck, Rach.." moaned Quinn, struggling to hold herself up because her legs were quickly turning to jelly. Rachel wrapped her free arm around Quinn's waist to steady her as her mouth sucked gently on Quinn's pulse point.

Within minutes Rachel could feel Quinn's walls were clenching around her wet fingers. She pushed her thumb into Quinn's swollen clit and rubbed frantic circles, throwing Quinn over the edge and causing her body to jerk violently.

As she came down from her orgasm, her legs lost their ability to hold her weight and Rachel was struggling to hold her up. She took a few clumsy steps towards the bed with her arms wrapped around Quinn's waist and let them both collapse. She slid her blouse off of her shoulders and Quinn gave her a hazy smile at the sight of her laying there in her bra and skirt.

"Is Hanukkah always this rewarding?" asked Quinn, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Only when you manage to be so unbelievably sexy," said Rachel with a smile, pulling Quinn down on top of her. Quinn saw the brunette's eyes grow dark with need and let her hands wander to where Rachel needed her most, proving once again just how much she loved her.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: I'm on Spring Break from work right now, so this is an extra long chapter for your enjoyment. Thanks for the reviews! I love hearing what you guys have to say!**

**Chapter 37**

"I said I didn't want anything for my birthday, Quinn," said Rachel, looking down at the box in her lap.

"Good thing I'm not a very avid listener when you talk then," replied Quinn nonchalantly, laughing at the look of indignation on Rachel's face. "Oh, just open it."

Rachel's fingers found the corner of the paper that surrounded the box. There was no mistaking the package; it was most definitely jewelry. Jewelry from her very beautiful, too-good-to-be-true girlfriend.

The paper exposed a simple box and Rachel opened it to reveal a silver heart necklace with tiny diamonds set in it.

"Do you like it?" asked Quinn nervously from her spot on the bed.

"Quinn, I love it," said Rachel breathlessly, pulling the necklace from its box. Quinn took it from her hands and reached behind the brunette to fasten it. She leaned forward to kiss the blonde before leaping off the bed to check it out in the mirror. She fingered the smooth chain while she admired it. It had only been a few short months, but things with Quinn seemed to be getting better every day.

"Now if I recall, you have specific birthday Berry traditions like every other holiday?" said Quinn, getting up from the bed to wrap her arms around Rachel's waist.

"You know it's just dinner and movies with my dads, Quinn. You were here for it last year," responded Rachel, gazing up into the hazel eyes.

"Oh yeah, that's right. That means you're mine all day then," she said with a smile, pulling the brunette towards the bathroom. "First thing on the agenda is to get you cleaned up for a day of fun," said Quinn with a devilish smirk. Rachel felt the whimper escape her lips as she let Quinn lead her into the shower.

The air was cold and it felt like snow was on its way. Quinn wished they were back in New York where the magic of winter and the holidays was in full swing. Lima was subdued and instead of a romantic walk through Central Park or ice-skating in Rockefeller center, they were traipsing through the Lima Park. It was nice to be with Rachel and she knew that her girlfriend was having a great birthday, but the romantic side of her wished she could do more for the girl.

After an hour, they returned to the car, their cheeks red from the cold and their lips red from the heavy make out session that had entailed by the edge of the lake.

"I have one last surprise for you," said Quinn and Rachel squealed excitedly in her seat.

When Quinn pulled into the McKinley High School parking lot, Rachel looked at the blonde with confusion, but Quinn just kept her indifferent composure before opening the brunette's door and taking her hand as they walked into the school.

It was nostalgic to be back in these halls where they had spent the majority of their teenager years and Quinn glanced down the halls she used to own. Without thought, she led Rachel right into the choir room and was pleased to see that it was still empty. The students were still in class for another fifteen minutes and Glee club would meet after that.

"Why are we here, Quinn?" asked Rachel, sliding onto the piano bench and letting her fingers plunk the keys tenderly.

"I told Mr. Schue that you would come help with Glee today," said Quinn sitting down on the bench next to her.

"But, Quinn, I haven't prepared any lessons! These students need strong directive and a solid learning environment and I can't provide any of those things without preparation!" Rachel had sprung up and was pacing now.

"Sweetie, calm down. They just won Sectionals, but Mr. Schue said they barely got through. He just thought that maybe you had some helpful advice for them to prepare for Regionals and that they would really enjoy having a hometown celebrity come in and sing with them." Quinn pulled the pacing Rachel into her arms and felt the girl relax at her touch. "Just be your perfect self. That's all you need to do."

The bell rang and the students filed in noisily. Their old glee mates greeted them warmly, while the new members eyed them nervously. Everybody knew who Rachel Berry was and she was already a legend in the choir room. It was common knowledge that the enormous trophy that stood front and center in the trophy case from last year's Nationals win was there because of Rachel Berry.

They took their seats and Quinn fidgeted nervously, her eyes transfixed on her girlfriend. Rachel stood tall with her shoulders back. She was always a performer first, even under nerves.

"Sorry I'm late, guys!" said Will as he waltzed into the room with a handful of sheet music. He smiled brightly at Quinn and Rachel before wrapping them each in a hug. He turned back to his club and addressed them. "Have you guys all been introduced yet? These are two of our glee club alumni, Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry. They agreed to come in and help us start preparing for Regionals," he said.

Harmony's hand immediately shot up in the air. Artie visibly rolled his eyes and Tina giggled.

"Yes, Harmony," responded Mr. Schue. The girl stood up before turning to face Rachel.

"I just wanted to say that it's an honor to be in your presence again. Your acceptance to NYADA is what caused me to transfer to McKinley because I want to make sure that I am equally prepared when my time comes to apply next year," said Harmony. Half of the club was holding whispered conversations in the risers rather than pay attention to a Harmony speech. Quinn had to choke down a giggle; this girl was basically a younger clone of Rachel.

"Thank you, Harmony. I appreciate your compliments. However, you all have a far way to go to win another National championship. I've been informed that you have taken Sectionals, but that it was a tough competition. It doesn't get any easier. I know that most of you think that days after a Sectionals win is too early to start preparing for Regionals, but that's where you are wrong. No matter the assignment, you need to be putting your full effort in every week leading up to Regionals if you want to be able to compete with the likes of the Warblers."

Quinn actually had to turn away. Harmony's head was nodding vigorously in agreement throughout Rachel's little speech. She seemed ready to leap out of her seat to prove that she was already preparing for Regionals.

"With that being said, Glee club is supposed to be fun. Enjoy it while you're here, because as much as I love NYADA and working towards my future, singing for a grade is nothing like the fun I had singing in their room every week for three years."

Quinn took in her girlfriend. She knew Rachel was doing well at NYADA and that she was working so hard to achieve her dreams, but it was obvious that Rachel missed the simplicity of singing and dancing around the choir room for fun as much as she missed competing.

"So let's have some fun today. Brad, can you kick us off with this?" Rachel pulled a set of music out of her bag and handed it to the pianist. He nodded and waited for her cue.

It was an old Selena Gomez hit and most of the Glee kids were on their feet before the first verse. They let Rachel begin, but joined in within the first few lines, dancing around the choir room with her. Mr. Schue smiled from his place by the piano as he watched his students let loose. Quinn let Blaine pull her into the thick of things and she found Rachel's hand as they danced and sung.

By the time Mr. Schuester dismissed them from the day, Rachel was beaming. It had been a really fun afternoon and the kids asked her for advice about the future and performed for them, letting her join in the fun as much as possible. The girls were in the car heading back to the Berrys' for dinner.

"I really needed that. Thank you for the perfect birthday, Quinn," said Rachel earnestly. Quinn turned to look at her.

"You're welcome, baby. I'm glad you enjoyed your surprise."

"I didn't realize how much I missed being a careless teenager. I know it's hard to imagine that I was ever careless, but there was something about the choir room that let me loosen up and just really enjoy performing just because I loved it. It is just so different than being on a stage in front of a crowd or worrying about every technicality in a performance at NYADA. Somehow, I think you knew all of that and that's how we ended up back in that room today." Quinn smiled sheepishly. She had a feeling that glee club was exactly what Rachel needed to remind her how much she really loves it.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Quinnie, it's going to be fine." Rachel was lying on her bed flipping through a pile of sheet music. Quinn was pacing nervously. Puck would be picking her up in ten minutes to go babysit Beth.

"Rachel, she doesn't know me. What if she cries and Shelby won't leave her with us? What if she does like me and Shelby decides I can't be in her life? I just don't want to get my hopes up like I have in the past." Rachel looked up at her beautiful girlfriend. Her face was contorted with worry and she was still pacing frantically. She hopped up from the bed and walked into Quinn's path, forcing the blonde to walk directly into her arms. Quinn resisted for a moment before letting herself melt into Rachel's embrace.

"Just be yourself, Quinn. Everything else will work out as long as you just you are just yourself." Quinn looked down into the deep chocolate eyes and was instantly reassured by the warmth she found there. Her phone went off in her pocket and she pulled it out to read the message, keeping her other arm wrapped around Rachel's shoulders.

"It's Puck. He's outside," Quinn said quietly. Rachel tilted her face up and let Quinn kiss her goodbye. The blond held her tight for a minute longer, finally forcing herself to let go. She pulled on her jacket and kissed Rachel's cheek before heading down to meet Puck.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

They were standing at Shelby's door in silence. They had been this way for almost five minutes despite the frigid wind, but they both seemed to be frozen with the weight of what awaited them behind the door.

"We have to do it, Quinn," said Puck softly, his hands still buried firmly in the pockets of his jacket. Quinn could hear the pattering of little footsteps inside the door that she knew must belong to her daughter. She lifted her gloved hand to the door and knocked firmly, her heart beating out of her chest. It wasn't the first time she had been to Shelby's house, but she hadn't been there since her delusional stage when she wanted to get Beth back and found out Puck was sleeping with Shelby.

"Hi, guys!" said Shelby enthusiastically when she opened the door. She beckoned them inside and they stripped their winter layers. As Quinn was handing Shelby her coat a little blonde girl came running into the foyer, a big smile on her face and a princess crown nestled into her wavy hair.

"Beth, sweetie, come here," said Shelby softly and the little girl ran into her mom's protective arms as she eyed the strangers. Shelby picked her up so that she was eye level with them. "This is Quinn and this is Noah," she said, gesturing to each of them in turn. "They are going to play with you for a little while so Mommy can go out, okay?"

The little girl looked nervously at the strangers but gave a small nod.

"Are you a princess, Beth?" asked Quinn, looking at her daughter's adorable pink dress and plastic tiara. She nodded again and reached a small hand up to her crown. "Can I play princesses with you?"

"Okay," said the small girl, squirming until her mom put her back down on the floor. She reached out for Quinn's hand and led the way to her playroom, Puck and Shelby following behind them.

"I'm just going to finish some Christmas shopping and then I'm having lunch with a friend, so I should be back in around three hours. There are leftovers in the fridge that she can have for lunch and you two feel free to have whatever you like. You have my cell number, right?" Puck nodded. "Okay, well then I'll see you later. Beth, sweetie, you be a good girl for Quinn and Noah." The little girl walked over and hugged Shelby goodbye before immediately turning back to Quinn and her princess dress up clothes.

They heard the front door open and close a few minutes later and they were left alone with Beth. Quinn was sporting a plastic tiara as well and Beth had given her a hot pink feather boa to put around her neck. Puck was laughing at the sight and snapped a picture on his cell phone of Quinn with Beth in their get up.

Beth, being a typical two year-old, quickly lost interest and walked to her toy box and started pulling everything out to show Quinn and Puck. Puck got excited by all of the matchbox cars and soon the two of them were pushing cars around on the rug making vroom noises and crashing into onto another, causing Beth to collapse into giggles.

An hour later, the little girl was going strong, but Quinn figured it was time for lunch. She went into the kitchen while Puck amused her and went about heating up Beth's food and setting up her spot at the table.

"Beth, babe, it's time for lunch," she said, standing in the doorway to the playroom. The little girl nodded and followed her to the kitchen, before climbing up the chair into her booster seat. Quinn was amazed at how easily the two year-old could climb. She tied the bib around Beth's neck and placed her food in front of her with the tiny fork and spoon she had found in the drawer.

"Juice?" asked the little girl and Puck hopped up to fill a sippy cup with some juice and handing it to Beth. "Danks," she said happily, sucking it down.

The three sat at the table while she ate, chatting animatedly. Quinn couldn't understand everything the little girl said, but she was so amused by her either way. She saw the devilish gleam in her eyes that she had seen in Puck's so many times when the little girl picked up some string beans and tried to drop them under the table so she wouldn't have to eat them. She could see specks of Puck shining out of Beth, but there was no doubt that the little girl was a Fabray. Quinn was stunned that she had created something so beautiful, so pure.

When the little girl had finished her lunch, Puck offered to clean up so that Quinn could play with her for a while. The girls headed back to the playroom and pulled out her dolls. They took turns dressing it and Quinn watched as Beth buckled the doll into its stroller and took it on a walk around the room, cooing to it the whole time. Quinn couldn't deny it; she was completely smitten with the small girl.

Beth was exhausted and Quinn was about to carry her to her bedroom for a nap when the front door opened. The little girl was cuddled in Quinn's lap when Shelby entered the room and the older brunette smiled down on them.

"Sorry I'm a little late. Are you sleepy, Beth bear?" The little girl's eyes were fighting to stay open.

"I'll put her down, if you don't mind," said Quinn shyly. Shelby nodded and Quinn stood up, cradling her daughter close to her. She kissed Beth's forehead gently and lowered her into her crib.

"Bye bye, Beth baby," she said quietly.

"Bye bye, Qin," answered the little girl as she rolled over and fell asleep. Quinn watched her contently for a minute before exiting the room and shutting the door softly behind her.

"She's fast asleep," said Quinn when she returned to the room.

"Thanks so much, guys," said Shelby, holding out money to Quinn.

"We're not taking your money, Shelby. Thanks for letting us spend time with her."

"Can we sit and talk for a little while?" asked Shelby. The two teenagers nodded and followed her into the living room.

Once they all had drinks, Shelby settled in with them, taking in the two teenagers. They had already grown up so much since they have first given up their daughter.

"I know I said this when I came back to Lima when you were seniors, but I really want you to have the chance to be part of her life. You've already grown up so much since then, I can see it in both of you. I want Beth to grow up knowing that her biological parents love her and did what was best for her at the time. I want her to have everything I failed to give Rachel."

Quinn studied the older woman for a few minutes. Shelby had hurt Rachel so badly. Rachel had wanted to know her mother and when she thought she finally had the chance, Shelby disappeared again with a new baby to fill the void of losing Rachel. Quinn never wanted Beth to feel the way that Rachel had.

"I want to know her, Shelby," Quinn said seriously. "She's really the only reason for me to keep returning to Lima. But it gets a little more complicated. I'm dating Rachel now and I think it's only fair you understand that if I'm in her life long-term, Rachel will be too."

"You're dating my daughter?" asked Shelby in surprise. Quinn nodded seriously.

"I love her, Shelby, and I love Beth. I know this situation is so twisted with all of the crossover, but I love them so much. I've hardly talked to Rachel about everything because I know how hurt she still is about you. But I just wanted you to know that at some point, I want Rachel to get to know Beth too."

"I'll never stop regretting everything that happened with Rachel," said Shelby quietly. "Maybe you reconnecting with Beth will help all of us work through our old issues. I want to be in Rachel's life, even if it is just as a friendly acquaintance."

The older brunette sounded so sincere. Quinn knew she wouldn't force Rachel to be around Shelby, but she desperately wanted Rachel to meet her daughter.

"Let's just take it slow and see how things work out for now. Quinn, when do you head back to Yale?"

"Not until the middle of January."

"Would you guys like to watch her for an afternoon next week after the holidays?" asked Shelby. Puck started nodding at once, having been left out of the previous conversation. Quinn also nodded her agreement. "Great, I'll give you a call after the holidays and we'll set something up," she said with a smile.

Shelby showed them out and thanked them again for watching Beth. Soon they were sitting in Puck's truck as it warmed up.

"Do you want me to drop you back at Rachel's?" he asked as he put the truck into reverse.

"Actually, can you take me to my house?" Puck just nodded and headed towards the Fabrays'.

Before long, he was pulling into the driveway and tossed the truck into park.

"Are you okay, Q?" he asked softly, averting his eyes from the blonde. He knew all too well that Quinn was terrible at dealing with her emotions and he didn't want to start a fight with the head bitch today.

"I'm fine. I just never stop thinking about her, Puck. I know we did the right thing. We couldn't have handled raising a baby. I wouldn't have Yale or Rachel or a really bright future if we hadn't given her up. But I just miss her so much." Puck stayed quiet. This was so unlike the Quinn he knew from high school.

"Is she really the only reason you feel the need to come back to Lima?" he asked.

"She's definitely the main reason," Quinn responded without hesitation.

"Beth is why I didn't leave Lima like everybody else," Puck said, looking down at his hands. "I couldn't bear to leave where she was, even if I couldn't see her."

"Oh, Puck," Quinn said, reaching over and taking the boy's hand in her own. "You can't put your own future on hold. We're going to be in her life, we'll always be her parents, even if we're not in Lima full-time with her. Beth will never doubt how much we love her, Noah."

Puck swiped at the tear that threatened to leak from his eye and Quinn gripped his hand firmly.

"What are your dreams?" Quinn asked softly.

"I want to go into business, I think. Something small, nothing fancy. I like working for Burt a lot so maybe I'll do something like that," he said. "I had planned on going to Ohio State, but I ended up not even applying."

"You should go, Puck. It's still close to home and you'll get to see her on breaks and stuff." Puck nodded slightly.

"Maybe next fall," he said. Quinn turned towards him and he let his eyes meet hers. "I love you, Q," he said, taking her chin in his hands.

"Love you too, Noah." He kissed her cheek and she smiled at him before climbing out of the truck and heading into her house.

Quinn was greeted with the smell of cookies baking and the sound of her mother singing along loudly to her favorite oldies station. It was weird to see her mom so incredibly happy, especially after how she had been at Thanksgiving. She hadn't seen a drop of alcohol in the house since she had lost her temper with her mom last time she was home. Ted was probably to thank for all of this. Quinn knew it wasn't because of her. She had made little time to call often at school and when she did get around to calling, she would find an excuse to get off the phone as soon as they ran out of their typical small talk topics. Since she had been home for winter break, Quinn had hardly seen her mom having spent the majority of the time at the Berry house.

"Hey, Mom," she said, walking into the kitchen to see her mom in an apron and her hair swept up into a messy, yet elegant bun.

"Hi, sweetie," said Judy as she pulled a tray of golden brown sugar cookies from the oven. "I wasn't expecting you home this evening."

"I thought we could spend some time catching up," said Quinn shyly. She hadn't planned on being home either, but seeing Beth made her want to see her own mom. She texted Rachel to say that she was home and was going to spend some time with Judy before pulling an apron out of the drawer and tying it on.

"How are things with Rachel going?" asked Judy as she handed Quinn a measuring cup and the bag of sugar.

"Amazing. She's really perfect, Mom." Quinn knew she sounded like a lovesick puppy, but she just couldn't help it when it came to Rachel. "Ted seems nice."

"Ted is great. He makes me feel alive again," Judy added dreamily as she cut up the stick of butter in front of her.

"I saw Beth today," Quinn said. She hadn't told her mom that Shelby was giving her and Puck another chance.

"Oh, Quinnie," Judy said, dropping her knife and turning to face her younger daughter. "Are you okay?" Her hands were resting on Quinn's forearms, stroking them gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Shelby said that Noah and I have grown up a lot in the last year and that she really thinks it's best for all of us if we have the chance to get to know Beth. She let Noah and I watch her for a few hours this afternoon and we're going back next week."

"You did the right thing for her, Quinn," Judy said softly. There had been a time when Quinn went into labor that Judy had imagined her, Quinn, and the baby taking on the world together as strong Fabray women. But Quinn was stronger than Judy had ever imagined when she decided to let Beth go to somebody that could give her everything she needed.

"It's taken a long time, but I don't regret giving her away. She's so happy, Mom. She's going to grow up knowing whom Noah and I are, but she'll always have a stable, loving home. It's more than I would have been able to give her." Quinn's voice was calm and even. It had been a long three years of angst over Beth, but Quinn was slowly coming to terms. Today felt like the first step towards a bright future.

"You're growing into an amazing woman, Quinn Fabray," said Judy adoringly. "Now tell me about this summer internship." And with that, Quinn launched passionately into explanation, not noticing the tears of happiness that were escaping from her mother's eyes.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

It was one in the morning and Quinn had just arrived. She had used the hidden key to let herself in and crept up to her girlfriend's room, feeling like a high school boy. Rachel was snoring gently when she opened the door and Quinn beamed at her before shedding her tennis shoes and sliding into the bed next to her.

"I'm sorry it's so late," mumbled Quinn, kissing the dark brown hair as Rachel stirred by the addition of another body to her bed.

"I missed you," said Rachel groggily, rolling over to cuddle into Quinn. Quinn was exhausted and she knew they would have plenty of time to talk about tomorrow. She brushed her lips against Rachel's forehead tenderly before letting sleep take over.

Quinn awoke to an empty bed the next morning. The digital clock next to Rachel's bed told her that it was just after ten. She dragged herself out of the warm bed to search for her missing girlfriend.

The kitchen was disappointingly empty, but once on the main floor, Quinn could hear music playing below her. The floor muffled Rachel's voice, but there was no mistaking that the brunette was singing her heart out. Quinn crept down the stairs so as to not disturb her and she was greeted with Rachel dancing around on her small stage with a pink bedazzled microphone singing an old Katy Perry song.

Rachel just looked at home on a stage, whether it was in front of hundreds of people or in the privacy of her own basement. It was the most natural habitat for the diva and Quinn had to admit that she missed seeing Rachel perform.

When the song ended, Quinn clapped from across the room and Rachel turned to face her, her face flushed with exertion from dancing around. Quinn walked towards her and pulled Rachel into a slightly sweaty hug, kissing her hair softly.

"Good morning, Quinn! I just thought I would practice while you slept so that I wouldn't disturb you as I know you had a late night," said Rachel in her typical bubbly tone.

"Morning, baby. But it will only be a good morning once I've had some coffee," she added and Rachel got the hint as they headed back upstairs. Once in the kitchen, Quinn started on the coffee, knowing her way around the Berrys' kitchen just as well as her own at this point and Rachel sat down at the counter with an apple in her hand.

Quinn pulled a bowl down and filled it to the brim with Cheerios before slicing a banana and tossing it on top and then covering it all with a healthy layer of milk. When the coffee was brewed she poured out two mugs and placed them on the counter before sliding into the seat next to Rachel.

"Your night with your mom went well I expect?" asked Rachel, sipping her coffee slowly.

"It was really nice. We actually talked for once and I told her about seeing Beth and the internship in New York and she told me about Ted."

"That's wonderful, Quinn. I'm glad you're both making the effort to reconcile the past. How was seeing Beth?" she asked curiously.

"She's amazing, Rachel. We played all afternoon and she is just such a sweetie. She has Puck's devilish side, but there's no doubt that she's a Fabray." Quinn pulled her phone from her pocket and showed Rachel the picture that Puck had taken of her and Beth in their princess outfits.

"Oh my gosh, she's precious, Quinn. She looks just like you!" Rachel exclaimed, taking in the tiny blonde in Quinn's arms.

"It's amazing that I created something so perfect," said Quinn quietly. "I talked to Shelby about the future as well."

"Oh?" responded Rachel, still staring at the picture.

"She wants Puck and I to have a chance to really be in her life. I told her that we're dating and that if I'm in Beth's life, eventually you will be too." Rachel looked up the phone and into the hazel eyes that were gazing at her.

"What did Shelby say to that?" asked Rachel, her heart sinking.

"Well, at first she seemed surprised at this development. I don't think she was expecting to find out that her biological daughter is now romantically involved with her adoptive daughter's mother. But she wants me to be in Beth's life and she talked a lot about regretting how things ended up with you and that maybe this would be a good thing for all of us down the line. She knows she'll never be the mother figure you deserved, but I think she is optimistic about having your paths cross in the future." Quinn's eyes never wavered from the brunette's. She knew that Shelby was an extremely sensitive topic to Rachel, but she wanted her to know the entirety of Quinn's conversation with Shelby.

Rachel stared back at the blonde for a few long moments, trying to process the news. Quinn stayed calm and didn't move to embrace the brunette, waiting for her to make the next move.

"I wish she had been a mom to me. Beth deserves to have you in her life, to really know about how she got there and to know how much love she is surrounded by. I see forever with you, Quinn, and with that come Beth and inevitably Shelby as well. I'm willing to deal with all of that for you to have the relationship with your daughter that you both need and deserve." Rachel could feel the tears stinging her eyes and Quinn reached out to take her hand.

"You know I'd never ask you to put yourself in a situation you're uncomfortable with for me, Rach. I would love for you to get to know Beth someday, but I understand how hard it is with her being tied to Shelby and all of the hurt that surrounds that whole situation." Quinn reached up to tuck Rachel's hair behind her ear and let her fingers rest along Rachel's cheek.

"I know, baby, and I love you for that. But Beth is the most important thing in your life and I'm willing to put my own issues aside to get to share that with you."

"I love you, Rachel Berry," said Quinn softly, gazing into the watery brown eyes. "So much."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"So remind me how today works again," said Quinn as she sketched Rachel lying beside her on the bed.

"Well it's unique this year since the last night of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve fall on the same day. But the last night of Hanukkah typically entails the three of us cooking all of our favorite dishes and listening to music by Jewish artists. Christmas Eve is more of a social holiday where we invite some friends over and it's a big dinner with lots of singing, dancing, and games typically."

"What do we do this year since it's a mash up?"

"Excellent question, Quinn. My dads and I have decided that we will still have the big dinner as you are aware of, but some of the offered dishes will be our personal favorites. Since you have earned a proper place in the tradition, Daddy promised that there will be a plate of bacon for you. Afterwards will follow Christmas Eve tradition. We're going to do our final Hanukkah presents before everybody gets here and then we'll do Christmas presents tomorrow morning."

Rachel looked over from her sheet music to watch Quinn's hands move across the paper. It was a drawing of her, which seemed to be Quinn's favorite object to draw. This one was a side profile of her; her face was bent down reading and her mouth was slightly open. Some of her hair was falling into her face, blocking it.

"You're really great at that, Quinn," said Rachel. Quinn looked up and smiled sweetly before returning to her drawing. "You know I could pose for you some time rather than you just sketching me when I'm not looking."

"I like you when you're not posed, Rach. I have no doubt that you'll be amazing for the paparazzi and photo shoots when you're famous because you know exactly how to look amazing on camera. But the Rachel I love the most is the quiet girl that can spend hours without talking when she's wrapped up in her favorite movie, the one whose eyes light up when a song she loves comes onto the radio, the one who can pierce me with just one gaze."

"If you had told me in high school that under all of the bitch was the most romantic girl, I would have laughed in your face," said Rachel seriously. Quinn slapped her arm good-naturedly.

"As long as you don't expose me for what I really am. I can't afford to taint my perfect badass reputation," Quinn replied with a playful smirk.

"Well, while I'm flattered by your endearing description of me, I was more thinking about you sketching me like Jack sketched Rose in Titanic," said Rachel with a sober face. Quinn dropped her sketchpad onto the nightstand and turned to look directly at Rachel.

"You want me to draw you nude wearing only an old necklace?" Quinn asked incredulously.

"It doesn't have to be an exact replica of the scene, but I think that's so romantic," Rachel said breathlessly.

Quinn's parents had never paid for her to take formal art classes because they thought art was a soft subject. In school they did portraits of one another, but typically only focusing on facial features. Quinn had never sketched a random nude model, but now her girlfriend wanted to be sprawled across an antique couch with no clothes and expected Quinn to somehow translate that into a beautiful drawing.

"I'll think about it, okay?" replied Quinn, hoping that would pacify Rachel on the subject for the time being. Rachel nodded and went back to her sheet music.

The Berry men decided they should do Hanukkah early in the afternoon before the major party prep began, so an hour later, the girls found themselves sitting the living room with their final day of packages.

Rachel handed Quinn a thin package and watched as the blonde carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a simple composition notebook. Quinn thumbed through the pages and saw that every single one had Rachel's handwriting on them.

"It's similar to a journal, but it's all about you. When I missed you at school, I would write about you. Some of them are just song lyrics that remind me of you; others are originals. I just thought you'd enjoy it," Rachel said sheepishly.

"I love it, Rach," said Quinn earnestly. "I can't wait to sit down and read it all." Rachel beamed at her and Quinn thrust her own gift into Rachel's hands.

The brunette tore at the paper to reveal a framed drawing. Quinn bit her lip nervously. Rachel had seen some of her sketches before, but nothing that Quinn considered a final piece. It was the drawing of Rachel on stage.

"Quinn.." the brunette said quietly. Quinn stared at her nervously. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. You're incredibly talented." The Berry men took interest and Rachel passed them the frame so they could examine Quinn's drawing.

Rachel got up and sat on Quinn's lap, kissing her deeply despite her fathers sitting feet away.

"This was the best Hanukkah ever," Rachel said with conviction.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Watching Rachel come down the stairs was like watching a movie star make their grand entrance. Now Quinn understood why she insisted that they get ready for the party at their own houses that night.

The brunette was wearing a floor-length silver dress that hugged her petite frame perfectly. Her hair was in a glamorous up do that Quinn knew had taken Kurt and Brittany the better part of the afternoon. The makeup was subtle, but Quinn felt her eyes drawn to the chocolate ones.

"Wow, Quinn, you have found quite the lady," said Ted from beside the blonde. He was holding her mother's hand as they stood inside the Berrys' house, Hiram having just relieved them of their jackets.

The brunette wasted no time in walking over to Quinn and kissing her softly on the cheek.

"Rachel, you look gorgeous," breathed Quinn, taking in Rachel's outfit up close now.

"You look beautiful, Rachel," said Judy, interrupting the moment. Rachel smiled widely at the older blonde and thanked her graciously, air kissing her cheek in greeting. She did the same to Ted and let the older couple move into the room to socialize, leaving the teenage girls.

"You look amazing yourself," said Rachel to Quinn, taking the blonde's hand and making her spin so she could see the whole dress. Quinn was wearing a tea length dark green halter dress and pair of high heels that Santana insisted were necessary but were already hurting her feet. Her short hair was wavy and simple next to Rachel's elaborate styling.

"Thanks, baby," she said, bending down to kiss Rachel on the lips. She felt the brunette smile against her before pulling away and leading her in to meet the other guests.

The dinner guests were friends of Rachel's dads and Quinn's mom and Ted. Most of the glee club would be there later after their own family gatherings, so Quinn and Rachel spent most of dinner wrapped up in themselves, laughing and talking. Leroy made a big spectacle of placing a giant plate of bacon directly in front of Quinn, causing the guests to laugh and making Rachel wrinkle her nose in disapproval.

By the time the glee kids started showing, most of the older crowd had filtered out. Quinn's mom and Ted were upstairs having coffee with the Berry men and the kids took over the Oscar room in the basement. Quinn's heels had been shed long ago, but Rachel insisted that she keep the dress on until the guests left.

They were lounging casually, sipping from the mugs of hot chocolate that Hiram had delivered with a big plate of cookies. Rachel put her iPod into the dock and turned on the playlist that contained most of their old glee club performances. They spent the night laughing and taking turns reenacting their favorite ones on the Berrys' stage.

"Quinn, play guitar for everybody," squealed Rachel happily, bounding back to the couch after performing a Wicked medley with Kurt that they had perfected over the past few months of living together.

"Rach…" said Quinn pleadingly. Playing alone in the dorm with Derek or just for Rachel was one thing, but in a room of musically minded people, Quinn didn't feel like testing out her new hobby.

"Please, baby?" asked Rachel with a pout. Quinn knew she had lost this one. There's nothing she wouldn't do for that face. Rachel saw her victory in Quinn's eyes and lit up again, racing to get Puck's guitar out of the corner and handing it to her.

"Will you at least sing it with me?" asked Quinn, and Rachel nodded vigorously, pulling two stools onto the stage while Quinn tuned the guitar. Finally she strummed a couple of chords in warm up and settled into her stool, adjusting the microphone.

Quinn began the guitar part and Rachel came in on the vocals.

_You were in college working part time waiting tables_

_Left a small town, never looked back_

_I was a flight risk with a fear of falling_

_Wondering why we bother with love if it never lasts_

_I say can you believe it?_

_As we're lying on the couch_

_The moment I could see it_

_Yes, yes, I can see it now_

Quinn joined her for the chorus.

_Do you remember we were sitting there by the water?_

_You put your arm around me for the first time_

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

Rachel let Quinn take the next verse on her own.

_Flash forward and we're taking on the world together_

_And there's a drawer of my things at your place_

_You learn my secrets and you figure out why I'm guarded_

_You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes_

_But we got bills to pay_

_We got nothing figured out_

_When it was hard to take_

_Yes, yes, this is what I thought about_

Quinn's eyes had been focused on Rachel the whole time, but Rachel was working the room. As they headed into the chorus again, their friends joined in, some of them even dancing around them.

_Do you remember we were sitting there by the water?_

_You put your arm around me for the first time_

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Do you remember all the city lights on the water?_

_You saw me start to believe for the first time_

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

Rachel took the next part by herself again.

_And I remember that fight, two-thirty a.m._

_As everything was slipping right out of our hands_

_I ran out crying and you followed me out into the street_

_Braced myself for the goodbye_

'_Cause that's all I've ever known_

_Then you took me by surprise_

_You said I'll never leave you alone_

_You said I remember how we felt sitting by the water_

_And every time I look at you, it's like the first time_

_I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter_

_She is the best thing that's ever been mine_

Quinn finished the song out.

_Hold on, make it last_

_Hold on, never turn back_

_You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter_

_You are the best thing that's ever been mine_

_Do you believe it?_

_We're gonna make it now_

_I can see it_

_I can see it now…_

Rachel was beaming from her own stool as Quinn awkwardly cradled the guitar in her lap. Their friends were clapping and cheering and Quinn smiled shyly before vacating her stool and handing the guitar to Puck so he could kick off the next song.

Quinn settled back down onto the loveseat, pulling Rachel into her lap. The brunette snuggled in and joined in for the chorus of the Billy Joel song Puck was playing. The blonde had never felt so content in her entire life. She was surrounded by love everywhere she turned.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Quinn, get up!" said Rachel, jumping on the bed and causing Quinn to spring up.

"What's wrong?" she said, her eyes wide.

"Nothing, silly! It's Christmas morning!" she said in her typical enthusiastic tone.

Quinn grabbed her glasses from the nightstand and squinted at the clock. It was seven a.m. and she hadn't gone to bed until almost two.

"Why are we up so early? It's not like we're worried about whether or not Santa came."

"You are so grumpy before your coffee, Quinn Fabray. Meet me in the kitchen in 5 minutes with your happy Christmas face on." With that, Rachel climbed off the bed and headed out of the room, leaving Quinn to get up and freshen up before heading down to meet the Berrys for breakfast.

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of vegan pancakes and fresh brewed coffee. Rachel had already set Quinn's usual spot with her coffee and Quinn took a big swig from the mug before walking over and giving Rachel a proper greeting.

"I'm glad you can be a pleasant person when presented with caffeine," said Rachel as she tilted her head up to meet Quinn's kiss.

The four of them settled in at the table for breakfast. It was a morning so different from Quinn's typical Christmas. Rachel was as giddy as a child and Quinn found her enthusiasm infectious. Christmas in her house had always been subdued, even when she and Frannie were children. Mostly it was about family appearances. Quinn's memories fixated on the fancy party dresses and uncomfortable shoes that she was forced into for church and Christmas dinner with their extended family.

As soon as the last plate had been cleared away, Rachel dragged them into the living room. Hiram turned on the stereo and let the Christmas music flow through the room and Quinn smiled at the sound of Rachel humming softly as she organized the presents beneath the artificial tree in the corner.

The Berry men sat patiently as Rachel organized the gifts by person before starting to pass them out. Quinn could see the large pile from the Berry men besides Rachel and the excitement on the small brunette's face.

They tore through the presents; well, Rachel did at least. She had made Quinn wait to open their gifts to one another for last. When Rachel had finally stopped squealing over the Blu-Ray copy of Funny Girl her dads had gotten her, Quinn handed Rachel her last box.

For once, Rachel opened it slowly, savoring the moment. She opened it to see an envelope surrounded by a selection of random objects that were designed to make the box heavy and to keep Rachel guessing as to what it could be with all of the shaking it endured the week leading up to Christmas.

After laughing at Quinn's efforts to deter her from figuring out her gift, she tore open the envelope to reveal a card with a letter tucked inside. She unfolded the paper and read it silently to herself, her eyes tearing as she did so.

"Quinn, this is too much," she said quietly, looking up at Quinn as she finished. The Berry men sat quietly, waiting to be filled in. "Wicked on Broadway, a 5-star dinner, and a limousine? It's too much."

"Did it mention a whole weekend of me in New York too?" asked Quinn with a grin.

"I don't deserve you," said Rachel, walking over and falling into Quinn's arms.

"That's where you're wrong. You deserve to be treated like a queen," said Quinn quietly into her ear, brushing it with her lips.

"Well I guess I should give you your gift now," she said, dragging herself from Quinn's lap and pulling out the last package from beneath the tree. She dropped it into Quinn's hands before settling at her feet, watching intently.

Quinn took her time as usual, ripping the paper as gently as humanly possible and driving Rachel crazy at the same time. It revealed a box for an expensive SLR camera.

"I talked to a bunch of people that are into photography to find one for you because I obviously know nothing about cameras, but I didn't want to ask your specific preferences to avoid ruining the surprise. We can pick out a different one if you don't like it." Rachel was rambling from nerves.

"Rach," said Quinn, taking the brunette's hands in hers. "Stop. It's absolutely perfect; I love it." Rachel's grin crept across her face and Quinn once again found herself smothered by the small diva.

That afternoon found Quinn sitting in the living room with her mom. Rachel had been over for presents earlier, but they had agreed to spend some time alone with their parents for the evening.

Quinn's new guitar was propped in her lap. She had just strung it with the help of a very useful YouTube video and was in the process of tuning it.

"What made you take up guitar?" asked Judy, sipping her apple cider and watching her daughter work on the strings.

"I needed a break from the girl drama in my dorm one night so I was hanging out with my friend Derek and he plays so he taught me a couple of chords and since then I've been practicing with him. You know I love music, it just kind of fit."

"I'm sure it helps that Rachel loves that you can play," said Judy with a knowing smile. Quinn blushed at the memory of Rachel jumping her as soon as she played for her the first time.

Instead of responding to her mom, she picked up the package of new picks and pulled one out, running it down the strings and letting the sound take over instead. She let her fingers find the frets and strummed out a couple of random chords as she got used to the new guitar before beginning the song. She sang softly along with the guitar and had forgotten Judy was even in the room until she finished and heard the applause.

"You're a talented girl, my Quinnie," Judy said with conviction. Quinn still wasn't used to being complimented by her mother after so many years of being made to feel like she was a failure. "Don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise."

She had grown a tough exterior to protect her from all of the times that people had pulled her down and told her she wasn't good enough. Most of the time, it came from inside her home directly. But as she thought, Quinn realized that Rachel was the one person in her life that had never torn her down, had never told her that she wasn't good enough. She knew she loved Rachel, but every day she was discovering more reasons as to why she knew that she would love that girl forever.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

Three days after Christmas found Quinn and her mom in the car on their way to Cleveland. They were going to see Frannie and her husband for a few days. Quinn had agreed under Rachel's insistence and now Judy was singing along happily with the radio as she drove.

Quinn looked through the pictures on her phone. She had spent the afternoon yesterday with Beth. Puck had to work, so she had gotten three glorious hours alone with her daughter, playing princesses and laughing until their stomachs hurt. The little girl's face was angelic and perfect in every way and Quinn was dreading going back to Yale now that Beth was back in her life. The thought of leaving her again until Spring Break hurt Quinn's heart.

"What are you thinking about, Quinnie?" her mom asked, pulling onto the highway.

"Beth." Quinn responded, scrolling through to the next picture, this one of Rachel on Christmas morning.

"What about Beth?" Judy asked tentatively. She knew how hard it was for Quinn to talk about her feelings. It was Judy and Russell's fault she figured. They never encouraged the girls to be open about their emotions as children.

"I don't want to leave her again to go back to Yale. Puck stayed in Lima just to be near her, even when we couldn't see her. I'm being selfish by going so far away and leaving her here."

"Quinnie, you're anything but selfish when it comes to Beth. You gave that girl the best possible life and you were only sixteen when you made that decision. Following your own dreams and going to a great college does not make you selfish."

"I can't take an internship in New York for the summer. I need to be in Lima for her," Quinn said, realization hitting her hard.

"Quinn, I love you and I love seeing how dedicated you are to your daughter, but you gave her up so that you both could have the best lives you possibly could. I know you and you're never going to abandon her the way Rachel's mom did to her. But going to Yale and achieving great things is what best is for you and ultimately Beth," Judy said, refusing to let Quinn give up her bright future.

Quinn was silent for the rest of the ride. Judy didn't push her any further, knowing her daughter already had enough on her mind and pushing just made Quinn close off completely.

They pulled into Frannie's driveway a couple of hours later and Quinn begrudgingly followed her mother to the front door with her duffel bag slung over her shoulder. Visiting her older sister wasn't her idea of a treat. They had hardly spoken since Quinn had gotten pregnant and Judy had kicked Russell out. To be honest, Quinn was a little surprised she had even agreed to have her mom and sister come stay for a few days.

Mark answered the front door and swooped down to kiss Judy's cheek before leading them into the house. It was a pretty impressive house. Quinn had never stepped foot inside it before, but she knew that Mark was a pretty important businessman. Russell had greatly supported the marriage. There was nothing more important to him than having both of his daughters marry successful Christian men and Frannie had made that dream come true less than a year after graduating from Notre Dame.

He smiled awkwardly at Quinn and relieved her of her duffel bag before showing her to one of the guest rooms. The room screamed Fabray. Frannie had inherited her mother's skills of housekeeping and the room was immaculate and lacking any sort of real comfort, just like the rest of the house. Quinn thanked him and said she was going to unpack and would meet them in an hour. He just nodded before leaving her in the room.

Quinn immediately grabbed her cell phone and punched Rachel's speed dial, letting it ring in her ear as she collapsed onto the stiff bed.

"Hey, Quinn! Are you guys there already? How are Frannie and her husband? Are you having fun?"

Quinn laughed. Rachel was trying to make Quinn enthusiastic about this trip.

"One thing at a time, Rach," she said with a laugh, in a better mood just from the sound of the diva's vibrant voice.

"Okay, well then start at the beginning. Are you guys there safely?"

"Yeah, we're here. I'm in my room that looks like it just got cut out of a Martha Stewart catalog," Quinn said bitterly, taking it the ugly floral curtains on the window.

"Well at least you have your own room. If Frannie is anything like you say she is, I'm sure it is pristine. How are Frannie and Mark?"

"I haven't even seen Frannie yet. Mark has hardly spoken ten words to me. I think he's intimidated by me. I'm sure Frannie has informed him that I'm the devil."

"Quinn Fabray! I doubt your highly Christian, respectable sister told her husband that you are Satan himself!"

"Frannie isn't as innocent as she likes us to believe. She was a sorority girl in college and a flouncy Cheerio. There's no way that she kept her virginity in tact until marriage. Although, she was pretty uptight. Maybe she was just sexually frustrated," said Quinn, deep in thought.

"Q, I love you very much, but we are not having this conversation while you are sitting in your sister's house. Keep an open mind on this trip. Maybe Frannie has changed and I'm sure Mark is a really nice guy if you gave him a chance. It's only a few days. You'll be home in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with me."

"I'll try, but not because she deserves it. I'll try because I love you and you asked me to."

"Thank you, baby. Go have fun and call me tonight. Love you, Quinn."

"Love you too, Rach."

She hung up the phone and continued to lay on the bed, not caring to get up and unpack. What was the point?

Her mom knocked on the door and entered when Quinn called to let her know that it was okay. Judy walked into the room and took in the sight of her teenage daughter sprawled on the bed, her bag untouched.

"Quinnie, I hope you're not upset with me about what we talked about in the car. I just want the best for my little girl," Judy said, quietly, not wanting to upset her again.

"I'm fine, Mom," Quinn said, forcing a smile onto her face in true Fabray fashion.

"Alright, sweetie. Frannie and Mark are waiting downstairs for us to have lunch. You can unpack later." Quinn just nodded and pulled herself up off of the bed, straightening out her t-shirt. Frannie would probably hate her for wearing jeans and a NYADA t-shirt to a meal in her super fancy dining room. The thought made Quinn genuinely smile as she followed her mom downstairs.

"Nice to see you, Quinnie," said Frannie when she showed up in the dining room, a fake smile plastered on her face to match her flowery dress and perfectly curled hair.

"Hi, Frannie," said Quinn simply, settling in at the table and grinning at Mark. He looked nervous like Quinn was up to something.

Her mom and Frannie took their seats at the table and they said grace before passing around the plate of sandwiches and the bowl of salad. Quinn helped herself and took a large swig of water out of her wine glass. Frannie had gone all out and this was only for lunch, not that Quinn expected anything different. She had absorbed all of the traits that their parents had wanted the girls to.

"What is NYADA?" asked Frannie, trying to make conversation with Quinn. Quinn took her time finishing the bite of sandwich in her mouth before responding.

"New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. My girlfriend goes to college there." Quinn hazarded a look at her sister, who was absorbing what Quinn had just said. Mark shoved a large forkful of salad into his mouth and avoided everybody's eyes.

"Rachel is a very talented young lady," said Judy, trying to run interference between her two daughters.

"You're okay with your daughter dating another girl?" Frannie asked Judy incredulously.

"We can't help who we love, Francesca," said Judy sternly, making it clear that the conversation was over. Mark's mouth was now full of sandwich and he skillfully avoided his wife's eyes.

"Congratulations on Yale, Quinn. How was your first semester?" Mark asked genuinely when he finished chewing.

"Yale is amazing and everything I ever dreamed about. I am minoring in Art and Photography now and one of my professors thinks he can land me an internship as a photojournalist in New York City for the summer."

"That sounds promising. Are you into photojournalism?" he asked.

"I have no idea what I want to do yet, but he thought it would be a good fit since English is my major. I always saw myself more as an editor than a journalist, but I love the photography aspect of it, so I'll give it a shot," she said, realizing that this is the first time anybody had questioned her interest in the field. In reality, Quinn wished that she could just take pictures for the rest of her life, but she knew that was unrealistic.

Quinn spent the rest of the meal in pleasant conversation with Mark with Frannie shooting them both daggers every once in a while. Judy and Quinn helped Frannie clear away the plates before they all retired to the living room.

The spacious room also looked like it had come out of a catalog. Not one item was out of place. Frannie had spread a few housekeeping magazines out in a perfect fan on the coffee table in a terrible attempt to look casual.

It reminded Quinn of their living room from her childhood. She hated that room and hated the hours she was forced to spend in it while wearing an uncomfortable party dress. Most of the furniture hadn't changed in it since her childhood, but it had definitely grown in warmth since Quinn and Judy became the only occupants of the house. There were vibrantly colored throw blankets that Judy had let Rachel pick out and a small pile of books next to Judy's armchair where she would read in the evenings. Since Ted had come into the picture, they had upgraded to a plasma TV and the house in general just felt warmer. But being in Frannie's house reverted Quinn right back to her childhood and the cold house they grew up in.

They spent the afternoon immersed in awkward small talk. Quinn texted Rachel for a while until the girl refused to talk to her when she should be spending time with her sister. Therefore, Quinn had resorted to texting Santana, but she was too busy with Brittany to be bothered with Quinn.

"Quinn, sweetie, why don't you take a ride with Frannie to the supermarket?" Judy said. It wasn't really a question; she was going to be forced to be alone with her sister whether she wanted to or not.

She shrugged and walked up to her room to collect her shoes and coat before meeting Frannie in the foyer. Her sister barely glanced at her as they walked out the door and climbed into Frannie's car. They drove for a few minutes before Frannie finally broke the silence.

"So you really love the ladies now?" she asked, eying Quinn in her peripheral.

"I know I love Rachel and that's enough for me," said Quinn plainly, not feeling like defending her sexuality to her judgmental sister.

"Does Dad know?" Frannie asked curiously.

"I don't know. Not from me at least, I haven't really spoken to him since the divorce was finalized," said Quinn in return.

"And Mom is okay with all of this?" Quinn sighed, exhausted by her sister's questioning. At least they weren't tearing each other's throats out.

"She's coming to terms with it. I was afraid that she'd throw me out again, but she was surprisingly okay. It probably helps that she adores Rachel and she met her new boyfriend at a PFLAG meeting."

"Whoa, back up. Mom is dating someone?" asked Frannie in surprise.

"Yeah, this lawyer named Ted. She's like a lovesick teenager, it's sickeningly adorable." Quinn laughed at the baffled look on her older sister's face.

"Well, life sure has changed a lot since I escaped Lima," said Frannie quietly. "I'm proud of you, Quinnie."

"What?" asked Quinn in confusion.

"I'm proud of you. I worried about you when I left for college. I thought that Dad would get the best of you and I knew you were better than the life he had planned out for you." Quinn spluttered in surprise. Frannie had always been their dad's favorite daughter. She did everything that was expected of her, while Quinn became a teenage pregnancy statistic and routinely defied Russell.

"Thanks, I think," said Quinn quietly.

They arrived at the supermarket, effectively ending the awkward heart-to-heart. Quinn followed Frannie around the store, pushing the cart while her sister got what they needed and continually asking Quinn what she wanted. Frannie's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Quinn picked up vegan snacks, but Quinn just smiled and tossed them into the cart.

The bags were loaded in the trunk and the girls headed back to the house, making small talk about school and Frannie's job.

"Have you heard anything about your baby?" Frannie asked quietly.

"Beth is in Lima. I've seen her a couple of times over break. Her adoptive mother thinks it's good for Puck and I to be in her life," Quinn said, avoiding elaboration.

"I'm glad you get to see her, Quinn. I can't imagine giving up my little girl," said Frannie. Quinn looked at her curiously and watching her sister's hand run unconsciously across her belly.

"Oh my God, you're pregnant!" exclaimed Quinn. Frannie's head snapped to her younger sister.

"How did you know?" asked Frannie in surprise.

"Call it motherly instinct, I guess," said Quinn smugly, settling back into her seat. "Is it definitely a girl?"

"We don't know the gender yet, but I think it's a girl," said Frannie, her hand still resting on her stomach. She wasn't even showing yet.

They pulled into the driveway and Frannie put the car into park.

"Congratulations, Frannie," Quinn said softly. She thought she would feel jealous knowing that her sister would get to keep her baby, but instead all she could imagine was being pregnant with her and Rachel's child.

"Do you regret giving her up?" asked Frannie, scared of prying too much.

"I did for a long time, but not anymore. She's happy and has a great home that I couldn't have given her in high school. Plus, I have a whole life in front of me that I wouldn't have if I had kept Beth. It was for the best."

"When did you grow up so much, little sis?" said Frannie, taking in her baby sister. She was six years older and had watched Quinn get thrown out by their dad when she was in college and wasn't there like she should have. Quinn had always been stronger than her.

Quinn just smiled at her shyly, before getting out of the car and starting to unload the groceries. Mark appeared outside to help, telling Frannie to go inside and relax.

"I heard the good news. Congrats, Mark, you'll be a great dad," said Quinn, picking up a couple of bags.

"I thought we weren't saying anything until dinner," he said, glancing at Frannie's retreating back.

"I kind of figured it out and she admitted it," replied Quinn. Mark nodded his head in thanks before leading the way into the house with his arms full of groceries.

The rest of the evening went really smoothly. Judy was gushing over Frannie and planning for the nursery. Frannie was glowing as they flipped through the interior design magazines. Quinn watched from the couch as they picked nursery colors and talked about themes. She hadn't let herself do any of that when she was pregnant with Beth. Even when she was considering keeping her, all of her thoughts were focused on how she and Puck would afford it and where they would live. She had small pangs of jealousy watching Frannie and her mom's excitement, but more than anything it made her keep imagining what the future with Rachel could be like.

Eventually, exhaustion from the day kicked in and they headed off to their respective rooms. Quinn got ready for bed, snuggling into the sweatshirt she had stolen from Rachel that was sporting a big gold star with "Berry" printed in it. Apparently her dads had gotten them made to support her at various competitions and Quinn thought it was absolutely adorable.

Once she was ready, she climbed under the blankets and dialed Rachel, anxious to hear her girlfriend's voice again.

Rachel answered on the second ring with a muffled hello. Quinn smiled at the sound of her sleepy girlfriend on the other end.

"Hey, baby," drawled Quinn, propping herself up on the floral pillows.

"Mmm, Quinn. I miss you," mumbled Rachel on the other end of the line.

"Miss you too, baby. Tell me about your day," Quinn said.

"I didn't do much. I went to the mall with Kurt and Mercedes for a little while and had a quiet night in with my dads. How are things at your sister's?" she asked.

"Frannie is pregnant," was all that Quinn blurted out.

"Honey, are you okay?" said Rachel, the worry obvious in her voice. She knew Quinn better than anybody and could see why that news might upset her girlfriend.

"Actually, I am. It's kind of hard watching my mom fawn over her like it's her first grandkid, but I'm happy for her and Mark and we kind of made up and talked about things."

"I'm glad, Quinn. You're so strong."

"Everybody keeps saying that," said Quinn with a little chuckle.

"Well, it's true. Most people couldn't have been as selfless and strong as you were at sixteen, Q," said Rachel softly.

"I have you to thank for that. You're the only person that never gave up on me despite what a bitch I was to you."

"Underneath all of that bitchiness, I knew there was a sweet and scared girl that just needed someone to help them realize that they were destined for greatness."

"What did I do to deserve you, Rachel?" asked Quinn.

"You showed me who you really were." They were silent for a few long moments.

"I love you, Rach. Go back to bed, I'm sure I interrupted your schedule."

"You're completely worth messing up my schedule for. I love you too, Quinnie. I'll call you tomorrow night. Have fun with your sister."

They hung up and Quinn collapsed back into the fluffy pillows. It had been a really long day, but Quinn felt happy. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her big sister. They had lost contact when Frannie had left for college and had joined her sorority. She only came home for Christmas during those years and senior year she even skipped that because of the drama over Quinn's pregnancy. It had been two years since Frannie and Mark's wedding, which was the last time she had seen her sister. She had been forced into a hideous pink dress as a bridesmaid at her mother's insistence and the girls had hardly spoken since.

The next morning Quinn was greeted in the kitchen with a fresh pot of coffee and Mark reading the paper at the table, his tie for work loose around his neck. It was still really early. Quinn used to be a late sleeper, but Rachel had ruined that over the past couple of weeks of sleepovers.

"Good morning," he said with a smile and she forced herself to smile back as she hunted down a mug and filled it with the steaming coffee. She plopped down at the table and he passed her a section of the newspaper. They sat in silence and read and Quinn relished in how well Mark seemed to understand her.

Half an hour later, Judy emerged dressed for the day and already energetic without any caffeine. It was like watching Rachel in the morning and completely unlike the Judy Quinn had gotten used to her senior year.

She watched as her mom began pulled things out of the fridge and set about making omelets for all of them. Frannie appeared a few minutes later and immediately turned green and ran for the bathroom. Mark sighed and ran after her. Quinn definitely did not miss the morning sickness. Judy chuckled and flipped an omelet onto a plate before putting the plate in front of Quinn. She ate quickly, trying to avoid the wrath of her pregnant sister when she finally appeared again.

Frannie came back looking ragged and Mark poured her a tall glass of ginger ale and pulled a sleeve of saltine crackers out of the pantry before kissing her forehead and heading to work. Judy was cleaning up the breakfast mess and Quinn eyed her sister nervously, looking for signs of the raging pregnancy hormones that she had experienced firsthand.

"What are you staring at, Quinnie?" said Frannie crankily, which caused Quinn to avert her eyes immediately. Judy chuckled again.

"What is so funny, mother?" spat Frannie, not even bothering to hide her annoyance.

"I chalked Quinnie's mood swings up to being a teenager before I knew she was pregnant, but now I know what the pregnancy hormones do to both of my girls."

"This is not amusing, mother!" exclaimed Frannie before storming out of the kitchen. That made Quinn laugh because her storm out was so awful compared to the many she had witnessed over the years from her own girlfriend. "It's still not funny!" yelled Frannie from the living room. That made Quinn and Judy laugh harder.

It took a few hours for Frannie to change back into the happy pregnant woman and Quinn had spent most of that time with a book in hand, avoiding her eyes. Judy finally insisted that they get out of the house and go out for lunch and do some shopping. Frannie reluctantly agreed and Quinn knew better than to be difficult this morning, so she ran upstairs to take a quick shower and get dressed.

Half an hour later, Quinn found herself in the backseat of her mom's car as they drove into downtown Columbus. Frannie was talking a mile a minute about her upcoming ultrasound and needing to know the gender of the baby so that she could start decorating the nursery appropriately. Quinn had tuned out most of the conversation as the two older Fabray women chatted in the front, instead texting Rachel.

Judy forced Quinn to put her phone away when they sat down for lunch, a pile of bags at their feet. She had been dragged through boring stores for two hours and had been forced to give her opinions on maternity clothes and baby accessories. Rachel had helped her keep her sanity as she watched Frannie thrust three almost identical maternity dresses in front of her, telling Quinn to pick one. When Quinn told her they all looked the same, Frannie began crying and Judy glared at her younger daughter while soothing Frannie.

Now she was in a booth next to her sister who was inhaling the bread on the table while they waited for their meals. Judy was watching her with an amused smile and Quinn pouted, ready to escape all of this family time and be back in Lima with her friends.

She spent most of lunch zoned out and was relieved when Frannie said she wanted to go home and take a nap before Mark got home from work. She followed suit as soon as they got back into the house and retreated to her own bedroom. Rachel was hanging out with Puck so Quinn changed into a pair of sweatpants and let herself take a refreshing nap.

Judy awoke her hours later, insisting she pull herself together and help with getting dinner ready. She groaned and reluctantly pulled herself out of the bed and heading downstairs. Mark was home and had changed out of his suit and was standing at the stove, flipping a pan full of vegetables. She said hello and walked over to her mom. Her mom handed her a knife and she took over chopping up the components of the salad, working besides Mark.

They chatted happily as they worked, following Judy's orders while Frannie sat at the table and complained. Dinner and the rest of the evening went off without a hitch. She sat through a romantic comedy with them, her and Mark commenting on how an action flick would have been so much better to be immediately shushed by Frannie and Judy. They smiled at one another, having a silent agreement that they were surrounded by crazy Fabray women.

Once the movie was over, Quinn was able to escape to her private room and got ready for bed, her phone in hand waiting for Rachel's call.

Quinn fell asleep with her phone still clutched in her fingers. At one in the morning it went off, causing her to spring awake at the sound so close to her ears.

"Hello?" she said groggily. Her eyes were too blurry to read who was calling.

"Quinnie!" yelled Rachel. Quinn pulled the phone away from her ear.

"Rachel, are you drunk?" asked Quinn despite having no doubt that Rachel was beyond wasted.

"Just a little!" Rachel continued to shout.

"Where are you?" asked Quinn, hoping she wasn't at Puck's house alone.

"Santana's!" Rachel yelled into her ear.

"Rachel, honey? Can you give Santana the phone for me please?" Quinn heard Rachel yelling Santana's name into the room in her attempt to search for the Latina. When Quinn was about to give up and call Santana's phone herself, the Latina was on the other end.

"What's up, Q?" she said calmly. Quinn could hear her take a swig from her drink.

"Why is my girlfriend wasted, Lopez?" said Quinn, annoyed.

"I'm gonna go with the fact that she drank a lot. I don't control your hobbit," responded Santana, her tone snarky.

"Well I assume either you or Puck were making her drinks. You're in charge of taking care of her tonight, do you understand? She can't go back to her house like that," said Quinn firmly.

"Already got you covered, Fabray. She's staying here with me and Britts."

"In the guest room. I don't trust the two of you."

"I can't help it if your sexy girlfriend can't keep her hands off of me," responded Santana nonchalantly.

"I'll kill you, Lopez. Rachel sleeps in the guest room."

"Chill out, Q. I told you I'd take care of your girl. Just say thank you and go back to being lame with your family."

"Whatever, San."

"Love you too, Q," said Santana, handing the phone back to Rachel.

"I love you, Quinn! Don't worry, Britts told me that even though I'm super sexy that they know you love me and would be good!"

"That's reassuring," muttered Quinn.

"What?" asked Rachel, obviously confused.

"Nothing, baby. You have fun and I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you," said Quinn.

"Love you too, Quinnie!" The line went dead.

Quinn sighed and rolled over. One more night of this and she would be back in Lima.

Despite the late phone call, Quinn was up early again the next morning and was glad to see Mark sitting at the table alone the following morning. They fell easily into their little routine and she read her section of the paper in silence, glad for the peaceful atmosphere.

Frannie and Judy appeared nearly an hour later as Mark was getting up to leave for work. He kissed Frannie goodbye and grabbed his briefcase as he headed out the door, leaving the girls to fend for themselves for the day.

They had a light breakfast of fruit and toast as Frannie felt sick again. They decided to have a quiet day and Quinn was more than pleased to not have to be dragged through stores again. She settled into the window seat in the living room with her book and read the morning away. Around noon she helped Judy make lunch while Frannie flipped through a book of baby names.

It was a quiet day, but Quinn enjoyed the relaxation. Once she got back to Lima, it would be New Year's Eve and then she would only have two weeks left of her winter break. She, Rachel, and Kurt had decided to drive back and Quinn was going to spend two days in New York before heading back to Yale for the beginning of the new semester.

The afternoon involved manicures and pedicures with her mom and sister and just further induced Quinn's relaxation. By the time they got home, she was nearly purring with content. Frannie fell asleep on the couch within minutes and

Quinn curled back up on the window seat, but stared out of it onto Frannie's quiet suburban street. Her sister had the life she had always dreamed of. Soon there would be little ones playing in the snow in the front yard, riding bikes, scraping their knees.

Quinn couldn't help but think about her own future. Frannie was six years older. Her sister had gotten married a year out of college. At the time, Quinn felt like her sister was so old and settled, but now that it was under five years away it seemed like it was coming so fast. If things went to plan, Rachel would be on Broadway by then, building a name for herself. But Quinn didn't know what she would be doing after college yet. She had always been jealous of how sure Rachel was of her future, but now it had become her rock. Rachel would be in New York and home was wherever Rachel was. It was one sure thing in her future and for some reason; she just knew the rest would fall into place.

Judy pulled Quinn out of her reverie a little while later when Mark got home from work. The three of them sat in the kitchen chatting, careful not to wake Frannie. Quinn felt guilty that she had never taken the time to get to know Mark before now. She had viewed him as a younger version of her own dad, but he was actually a really decent guy.

Frannie woke up and joined them a short while later and they all got ready to go out to dinner upon Mark's insistence. The restaurant was a beautiful Italian place and they had a wonderful meal that was completely void of the awkwardness that their first lunch had held only a few short days ago. Frannie asked about Rachel and Quinn and Judy both jumped at the opportunity to talk about the small brunette that had come in and taken over their lives. By the time they got back to the house and were heading up to bed, Frannie had invited Rachel to come next time they visited. Quinn couldn't have been happier.

She got ready for bed and then dialed Rachel's number, hoping to find the girl in a better state than last night. Rachel answered immediately, sounding like her cheerful self.

"It sounds like you managed to recover from last night," said Quinn, trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice. It was Rachel's own business if she wanted to get drunk like that.

"Yeah, it took most of the day. Brittany tried to make me eat bacon and eggs to cure my hangover and she kept trying to get me to snuggle with them last night." Quinn laughed at Rachel's horrified tone.

"I'm glad you said no to that offer. She's tried to do that to me before," said Quinn.

"How come you never took them up on it?" asked Rachel curiously. It was no secret that the Cheerios sometimes got a little too close at parties and Quinn had been their captain.

"In Santana's words, I was a pressed lemon. I was adamantly insisting that I was a good, straight Christian girl." It was Rachel's turn to laugh.

"Wow, you really were in deep denial. Anybody could see how much you checked out any girl wearing a short enough skirt."

"I don't know what you're talking about," responded Quinn, her cheeks warm. Apparently she had been more repressed than even she realized.

"For someone who claimed to hate me, you spent a lot of time with your eyes on my legs, Quinn." Quinn sputtered incoherently, unable to find the words to retort. Rachel laughed again. "At least you finally figured it out because life is definitely better with your hands running up my legs instead of just your eyes."

"Rach, we are not having phone sex when my mom is in the next room!" exclaimed Quinn.

"Sorry, I just miss you. We'll just have to ring in the New Year with a bang tomorrow," said Rachel, her voice husky. Quinn felt a surge of heat to her core.

"We're going to be at Puck's though."

"Quinn, do you really think that is going to stop us?" asked Rachel in a faux innocent tone. Quinn could almost see Rachel's smirk.

"God, I love you, Rachel Berry," replied Quinn, resisting the urge to let her fingers deal with the sexual frustration she was now experiencing.

"Love you too, baby. Sleep tight and I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Night, Rach," said Quinn before she hung up. The ache in her core was almost unbearable. She forced herself to take a cold shower instead and would have to wait until she saw Rachel tomorrow.

Quinn woke up even more frustrated than she had been last night thanks to a very vivid dream about Rachel. It had left her panties damp with her arousal and her core was throbbing. There was no way she was going to last until tonight. After a short internal debate, her needs won out and Quinn's hand slid down her abdomen and into the waistband of her pajama pants. Her panties were wet through and she rubbed her clit lightly through the fabric, biting back a groan. Once she was worked up, she pushed her hand into her underwear, whimpering at how wet she had gotten from the dream. Two fingers found her hole and pushed inside. She thrust in and out, her palm hitting her clit on every inward stroke. Before long she was on the verge of her climax, her hips bucking up into her hand. She didn't hear the door open as she whimpered Rachel's name and fell over the edge.

As she came down from her orgasm, she heard giggles and her head snapped to the door. Her sister was standing there with an amused grin and laughed at the sight in front of her.

"Breakfast is ready. Better wash your hands before you come downstairs though, Quinnie," said Frannie, still chuckling. Quinn pulled the comforter over her head in embarrassment. Frannie disappeared and Quinn stayed there for a few minutes trying to compose herself.

She went into the bathroom and washed up before joining the rest of them in the kitchen. Quinn did everything in her power to avoid her older sister's eyes throughout the meal.

As soon as the dishes were cleared, she excused herself to go pack. Frannie's laughter echoed behind her as she made her quick escape. She took her time folding the clothes and placing them in her duffel bag, avoiding any time she could with Frannie.

An hour later, she couldn't avoid it anymore. She carried her duffel bag down the front door and joined everybody in the living room. Her mom made her sit through an excruciatingly long conversation about visiting again when the baby was born in June before they finally made their way to the car.

She hugged Mark and gave him a genuine smile before turning to her sister. Frannie had a huge smirk on her face.

"Our secret, little sis," she said into Quinn's ear as they hugged. Quinn knew her face would be bright red when they pulled apart, but underneath the teasing, she knew Frannie was trying to be the big sister she thought she had lost years ago.

"Thanks, Fran," she said quietly before pulling out of the hug. She dove into the passenger seat and waited for Judy to say goodbye so they could leave. Two hours and they would be back in Lima. Quinn was more than ready to be back and most of her reasons led to Rachel.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

Quinn wanted to go to Rachel's the moment she got back, but Rachel insist that they not see one another until Quinn picked her up for Puckerman's party that night. She had made her mom rush home and now she was sitting in her room with five hours to kill until she was allowed to see Rachel.

"What?" was Santana's friendly greeting when Quinn called her.

"Nice to hear your voice too, S," Quinn responded jokingly. "Want to hang out until Puck's party? You can get ready here and then we can pick up our girls."

"I'm only saying yes because Rachel asked for Brittany's help and she is about to head over there."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, Lopez. The front door is open, just come on upstairs." Quinn heard Santana hang up without a goodbye and she clicked off her own phone before dropping it onto the bed beside her. She pulled her book out of her bag as she waited.

It was hardly ten minutes later when she heard Santana's thundering footsteps on the stairs. The door banged open without a knock and Quinn smiled up at her oldest friend. Santana was in sweatpants and her hair was a mess. She had obviously been in bed with Brittany until Quinn and Rachel had forced the pair apart.

"Looking good, Lopez," said Quinn with a smirk. Santana flipped her off before shoving her over so she could lie down next to Quinn.

"How's your sister?" Santana asked. She had grown up at the Fabrays' as much as Quinn had grown up at her house. Santana considered Frannie a sister like Quinn did Santana's sister, Carmen. Frannie was the eldest and her legacy as a Cheerio was only matched by Quinn's reign. Carmen, on the other hand, was the resident badass of McKinley. She had been a senior when Santana was a freshman.

"Less bitchy than I remember, but that might be because she has a bun in the oven," said Quinn nonchalantly, sticking her bookmark into her book before tossing it onto the floor.

"Frannie's knocked up? Guess we're gonna be aunties then," responded Santana.

"You already are, S." Quinn hardly whispered the words.

"Fuck, Quinn. I'm so sorry." Santana glanced over at her best friend, who was pulling lint off of the comforter, staring in the opposite direction.

"I've been seeing Beth since I've been home. Puck and I babysat last week and I hung out with her and Shelby this week."

"How are you holding up?" Santana usually let Brittany handle emotional Quinn, but she figured she needed to step up this time.

"I'm good actually. I miss her all of the time, but I know that she's going to have the best life and I couldn't have given her that. It kind of sucked to watch my mom and Frannie plan for the baby, but I'll get to do that someday when I'm settled." Santana knew that Quinn was being honest.

"You seriously want to push another watermelon out of your vagina? Make the hobbit do it next time!" Quinn punched Santana on the arm at that statement.

"What about you and Britt? You're so whipped that I can see you pushing out a bunch of little ones if she bats her eyes." Santana glared at her and whacked her with a throw pillow.

"Seriously, we're eighteen. I refuse to sit here and waste my wonderful, sexy youth talking about settling down." The Latina hopped up from the bed and walked into Quinn's cavernous closet. "Q, we need to get you out of this goody two shoe dresses. You're too damn hot to be covered up like a nun."

"Rachel likes them," pouted Quinn as Santana pulled dresses out of her closet and threw them in a pile.

"Did you see what Berry wore in high school? It took therapy for me to clean out that closet," said Santana, pushing further into the endless closet. "What the hell are you planning on wearing tonight, Q?"

"Jeans and a t-shirt probably. Does it really matter?" Quinn asked, opening her laptop to check her e-mails.

"Of course it fucking matters! The Quinn Fabray I know and love would never show up for a New Year's party in jeans and a t-shirt and ask if it mattered."

"Rachel is just going to rip my clothes off anyway," Quinn said casually, a smirk dancing on her lips.

"Damn, you're good, Q. But I'm still not letting you show up dressed like a nobody. Rachel hasn't seen you in four days; you should be making her drool. Now make yourself presentable because we need to go shopping."

Quinn knew better than to argue with Santana about shopping and clothes. There was no denying that the girl had the best fashion sense in their grade and Daddy's no-limit credit card to supply her shopping habit. Quinn ran a brush through her hair and pinned it back off of her face and changed into a loose fitting blouse before tossing on her old leather jacket. It was the one item she loved from her skank phase. With Santana's nod of approval, they were out the door.

Quinn let Santana drag her from store to store in the pathetic Lima Mall. The Latina kept filling her arms full of low-cut, short length, skintight dresses and pushing her towards the dressing room. She had tried to get Rachel to save her, but her little brunette informed her that she was too busy getting ready. So instead Quinn found herself in the umpteenth store with a slinky red dress in her hands as Santana frog-marched her to the dressing room.

Sighing, Quinn slid into the room and slipped out of her own clothes, replacing them with the red dress. It was a little bit longer than most of Santana's selections, ending a little bit above her knees. It hugged her abdomen and showed off her delicate curves. She typically leaned towards soft, warm pastels, but the bright red made her milky white skin shine.

She popped out of the dressing room, awaiting Santana's analysis. The Latina walked over and adjusted the dress, her hands fully groping Quinn's boobs. The blonde slapped her hands away and fixed the bodice herself before spinning on the spot to let Santana take in the whole dress.

"What do you think?" Quinn asked, knowing full well this was the dress she would be wearing that evening.

"Considering I want to fuck you in that dress, I'm sure Berry will have to scrape her jaw off of the floor as she drags you upstairs to fuck your brains out."

Quinn just spun again, taking in her reflection. She knew Santana was right, even if she was crude in saying so.

"I've got the perfect heels for you to borrow. Let's pay for that sucker, we need to start getting ready." Santana turned on her heel and headed out of the dressing area while Quinn changed back into her normal clothes. She carried the dress to the counter and swiped her credit card. Part of the divorce agreement was that Quinn was to have a separate allowance. Despite her hatred for her father, it was nice to spend his money whenever she wanted.

They swung by the Lopez house to pick up Santana's outfit and the shoes for Quinn before heading back to the Fabrays' to get ready. Quinn forfeited control of her iPod and Santana was blasting Amy Winehouse as they got ready. By the time they were done, they were already late for picking up their girlfriends. If she hadn't looked so amazing in her new dress, Quinn would be worried about a lecture from Rachel about punctuality, but she had a feeling that she might actually render the diva speechless.

Rachel did not disappoint. As soon as she answered the door, she launched into a lecture, but stopped abruptly when Quinn shed her coat to show off her dress. Rachel's mouth gaped open at the sight and Quinn's mouth formed into a sexy little smirk. She watched her girlfriend's eyes rake up and down her body, from the black stilettos to her perfectly messy hair.

"You look.." started Rachel, but her words fell off again.

"I know," said Quinn arrogantly, leaning in to kiss her girlfriend.

"I needs to get my drink on! Let's go!" called Santana from Quinn's backseat. Brittany had already joined her. Quinn extended her hand for Rachel to take and the brunette took it, allowing Quinn to lead her to the car.

Quinn pulled her car in front of Puck's familiar house. There were only a couple of cars there already, but they were pretty early. Puck greeted them at the door, his mohawk freshly trimmed and wearing a worn in black leather jacket. He kissed each girl hello and directed them towards the kitchen for drinks.

Bypassing Santana, Quinn poured vodka into a red cup and filled the rest with juice before passing it to Rachel. She didn't trust her friends to make Rachel's drinks after how wasted she had been the other night. Santana tossed her a smirk as Rachel's eyes lingered on Quinn's figure, their fingers touching.

She turned back to make herself a drink before following her friends into the living room. Only the glee kids were here this early and the boys were involved in a rowdy game of flip cup on the table Puck had set up. Mercedes and Tina were sitting on the couch and greeted the girls warmly.

"Damn, Quinn, look at those legs!" exclaimed Mercedes, taking in Quinn's toned legs underneath the tight dress. She blushed slightly and Santana smacked her ass as she sat down on the couch, causing Quinn to jump and Rachel to laugh appreciatively.

"Your ass does look awesome, Quinn," said Rachel into her ear, Quinn nearly whimpering at her husky tone and warm breath. She plopped down a safe distance from Santana and pulled Rachel into her.

The house started to slowly fill up as the night wore on. Almost everybody was wasted well before midnight and Quinn found herself involved in a very rambunctious game of Kings at the table with Rachel sitting on her thighs. The brunette was really drunk and kept kissing Quinn's neck, effectively ruining the little bit of concentration she had.

Santana and Brittany had disappeared upstairs an hour ago after Puck tried to join them as they grinded to the music and made out. Quinn was tempted to drag Rachel upstairs as well, but the diva insisted that they stay with their friends until the clock hit midnight and then it was on.

Having a time goal was driving Quinn as crazy as Rachel's mouth on her neck was. She kept checking the time on her phone, her thong already soaked from all of this warm up. She knew that she wasn't going to last once she actually got Rachel alone.

_How is there still a half hour until midnight?_ thought Quinn in frustration. She hadn't been paying attention to the game and was once again being instructed to drink. Quinn took a healthy swig of her beer, already having bypassed a nice buzz and plowed right into full-on drunk. Rachel didn't seem far behind her based on her wandering hands and newfound love of clinging to Quinn like a monkey.

The game ended and Quinn gladly pulled Rachel away to the living room and onto the couch to wait for the ball to drop on the television. Santana and Brittany reemerged, a smug smile painted on the Latina's face as she sat down right against Quinn.

"Look who still hasn't had her dress torn off by a horny brunette," whispered Santana against Quinn's ear, making the blonde girl shudder slightly at the warmth of her breath. "I can help the dwarf with that," she said, her lips actually brushing against Quinn's reddened earlobe as she whispered.

Quinn pulled away from the feisty brunette hastily, turning to face Rachel, who was in a deep, meaningless conversation with Brittany that mostly involved giggling loudly. The blonde did her best to avoid Santana's playful eyes, but the Latina seemed to be making it her mission to make Quinn squirm in her seat.

"Rach, can't we just go upstairs now?" asked Quinn softly, not bothering to hide the whine in her face.

"We said we'd only abandon our friends once we've all rung in the New Year together, Quinn. While you look absolutely breathtaking in that dress, I refuse to disappear in a Brittana manner before honoring a timeless tradition." Quinn knew her feeble attempt to get Rachel into a private room quickly was failing miserably. She would have to sit through the next ten minutes of torture from her best friend until she could pull Rachel away and into Puck's guest bedroom.

The ball was falling slowly on the screen and the shouts from crowded Times Square were blaring from the television. They were all on their feet, arms around one another in Puck's living room. It was the place that Quinn had spent the last four New Year's Eves. She had never before believed the saying that you would spend your year the way you ring it in. But for the first time, she hoped that she did. The four years of high school involved kissing whatever football player she was dating at the time strictly because it was what she was supposed to do. However, this year she watched as her friends screamed out the final 10-second countdown with Rachel's hand grasped firmly in her own, their fingers interlocked. It felt like those seconds couldn't melt away fast enough so that she could have Rachel's lips on hers.

As the shouts of "Happy New Year!" echoed through the crowded room, Quinn spun Rachel to face her and looked right into the shining chocolate orbs. Words weren't necessary and instead Quinn reached up and pulled Rachel's face towards her own, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. It was like the room melted away; Quinn was oblivious the rambunctious crowd around her because all that mattered was Rachel's mouth against her own. It was the only way she ever wanted to celebrate a New Year again.

They broke apart only due to the necessity of breathing. Quinn's hands were tangled through the long, dark hair and Rachel pulled her close, locking her hands around Quinn's waist.

"I think it's time to get you out of this incredibly sexy dress," husked Rachel as they stood with their foreheads against one another. Quinn just responded with a low moan before spinning towards the stairs and dragging Rachel behind her. Santana caught her eye one more time and made a scissoring gesture with her hands as she smirked at the pair. But that couldn't ruin Quinn's mood as she felt Rachel's hand in hers.

The door had hardly slammed shut behind Rachel before their lips met again in a frenzied kiss. This wasn't the moment for slow and sweet. It had been four gruesome, long days of arousal peaked by hours of teasing.

Quinn wasted no time in pulling Rachel's black dress off of the brunette, leaving her in only a matching black lace strapless bra and thong. Her heels were also black and made her legs look extra long and lean. Quinn moaned at the sight of her girlfriend, her eyes full of lust and already impossibly dark. She pushed Rachel back against the door, reaching over to twist the lock before pulling one of Rachel's legs up and around her waist. Rachel's mouth was leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses on Quinn's neck, pausing to suck on her pulse point before moving down to her collarbone.

"Fuck, Rach," moaned Quinn appreciatively. She was already incredibly wet. "I don't need any foreplay," she said through another moan. Reaching down, she cupped Rachel's sex and felt the brunette's wetness seep onto her hand through her thong. "And apparently neither do you," added Quinn, her hand rubbing Rachel through the thong.

"Take me," Rachel said in a serious tone, threading her fingers through blonde hair and bringing Quinn's mouth back to her own. Quinn needn't be told twice. She pushed Rachel's thong to the side and let her fingers glide through the pool of wetness she found underneath. She ran all the way up the diva's slit, circling her clit teasingly before moving away again.

"Just fuck me, Fabray," moaned Rachel, pulling the zipper down on Quinn's dress and hastily forcing it off of the blonde before pulling her closer, their bodies pressed against one another.

Quinn responded by lifting the smaller girl up and carrying her over to the bed. She put Rachel down gently, raking the brunette's taut body with lustful eyes.

Rachel was sprawled on her back, her eyes fixated on the blonde goddess that was now kissing her stomach as her hands teased hardened nipples through the lacy material.

"Quinn, stop teasing," whined Rachel, her hips pushing up into Quinn, looking for any friction where she needed it the most.

Quinn reached under Rachel and unclasped the bra, yanking it from the brunette's shoulders and tossing it on the floor. She propped herself on elbows on either side of Rachel's head, taking Rachel's lips with her own. The brunette moaned into the kiss as Quinn's tongue raked along the roof of her mouth. Quinn could tell how worked up Rachel already was and she couldn't resist any longer. She pulled away from Rachel's mouth and kissed her way down the tiny diva's body, making sure to hit all of Rachel's sensitive spots. She raked her nails gently along the brunette's stomach as her head descended. Beneath her, Rachel was writhing wit need, desperate for solid contact against her core.

Quinn's mouth finally reached its destination and the blonde ran her tongue over Rachel's core through the fabric. The brunette had completely soaked through and Quinn could taste Rachel's delicious juices as she licked gently. Rachel let out a deep moan and laced her fingers through messy blonde hair. Quinn pulled away only far enough to yank Rachel's ruined thongs down the long, tan legs. Quinn's breath raked over Rachel's soaked sex and the brunette shivered at the sensation, pulling the blonde towards her by her hair.

Happily obliging her girlfriend, Quinn pushed her tongue roughly into Rachel's dripping hole, lapping up the sweet nectar that was spilling from it. Rachel's hips immediately began bucking into Quinn's face and Quinn used her hands to hold the diva down against the mattress as she swirled her tongue in slow circles over Rachel's engorged bundle of nerves. Rachel let out the sexiest noise Quinn had ever heard, spurring on Quinn's swirling tongue.

"Fingers," groaned Rachel, her head thrown back against the pillows and her long hair falling messily around her face. Quinn dragged her hand down to Rachel's hole and inserted one finger, curling it against Rachel's inner wall. "More!" demanded Rachel and Quinn responded immediately by pushing another finger deep into Rachel, thrusting them in and out quickly. Rachel's walls were clenching her fingers tightly and Quinn curled into her g-spot on every stroke, her tongue continuing its ministrations on the brunette's swollen clit.

Shortly thereafter, Quinn felt the diva go stiff under her grip. Quinn's name was falling repeatedly from the beautiful brunette's lips as her orgasm took control, hips bucking wildly against Quinn's fingers. The blonde held her hip tight, fingers still deep inside as Rachel rode out the waves of pleasure.

When the brunette's muscles went limp, Quinn ran her tongue once more through the wet folds before crawling up Rachel's body to connect their mouths again. Rachel whimpered at the taste of herself on Quinn and she ran her own tongue against Quinn's relishing in the sweet flavor.

Quinn could already feel a strong throbbing between her legs from almost being pushed over the edge just by touching Rachel. She grabbed Rachel's hand roughly and guided it to her own drenched thong.

"Fuck, you're so wet, baby," moaned Rachel into the blonde's mouth, cupping Quinn's sex.

"Take them off," said Quinn forcefully and Rachel obliged, pulling them down her legs before returning her hand to Quinn's core. Her fingers slid through the soaked folds, causing Quinn to moan loudly and her hips to buck up into Rachel's hand.

There was no denying that Quinn was already close to the edge. Rachel pressed her thumb against Quinn's clit as she forced Quinn down onto two of her fingers.

"Rachel…fuck…Rach." Quinn was moaning loudly, words randomly rolling off her tongue. Her hips were pushing her down onto Rachel's fingers, setting the fast rhythm. Blonde hair was flopping as she fucked herself against Rachel's hands, her forehead soaked with sweat. Rachel pushed a third finger into Quinn's hole and the blonde screamed and bucked her hips harder. Rachel rubbed her thumb in quick circles over Quinn's throbbing clit.

"Ahh! RACHEL!" yelled Quinn as the blinding pleasure took over, her hips losing rhythm as they bucked uncontrollably on Rachel's fingers. Her juices were running down Rachel's hand and wrist. Rachel pulled out of Quinn as she came down from her orgasm and the blonde collapsed on top of her, her naked body fitting perfectly with Rachel's. The brunette brought her hand up to her mouth and licked her fingers clean before kissing her girlfriend and sharing her juices between their tongues. Quinn kissed her deeply, tangling her hands in the dark brown locks.

"Happy New Year, baby," murmured Quinn against Rachel's lips.

"You two done fucking like rabbits? I can't hear myself think out here!" Santana's voice rang through the door. Quinn groaned and rolled off of Rachel, cuddling into her side.

"Do you think she'll go away if we ignore her?" asked Quinn quietly. Rachel shook her head no before kissing Quinn lightly and peeling herself away from the blonde. She walked over the duffel bag Quinn had placed upstairs earlier and grabbed a pair of shorts and sweatshirt to throw on and tossed Quinn her clothes. Rachel threw the door open to see Santana standing there, drink in hand and customary smirk on her face.

"A little hypocritical of you, don't you think?" said Rachel, her hands on her hips as she scolded Santana.

"Berry, you wish you could compare to me and Britts. But seriously, you're so loud that everybody heard you moaning blondie's name." Rachel's cheeks flushed slightly at this discovery. Quinn just groaned and pulled the blankets over her head. "Get your fine asses back downstairs, the night is still young" said the Latina, before turning on her heel and disappearing down the hallway.

"There's no point in arguing," said Rachel reasonably, pulling the sweatshirt off and getting properly dressed. "At least we have fine asses," she said with a giggle and Quinn reached out to grab her ass with a dopey grin. Quinn watched the tan skin disappear under clothing again before letting Rachel drag her back downstairs to their friends.

The sun burned through Quinn's eyelids in the late morning. She rolled over and kissed the girl pushed up against her.

"Mmm, Quinn, I don't think the hobbit would like that too much." Quinn's eyes sprung open to find Santana lying next to her.

"Where the fuck is my girlfriend?" Quinn asked, wiping her mouth.

"Her and Britts are downstairs being cheery. I was too fucking hungover to deal with all those rainbows and unicorns this early so Rachel sent me up here," explained Santana, snuggling back into Quinn. "And I needs to get my cuddle on and you'll have to do for now," she said, wrapping an arm around Quinn's abdomen and settling back into her pillows. Quinn sighed at her best friend, but felt way too hungover to move yet so cuddling was the best option on the table.

Two hours later, Quinn woke up to the feeling of warm lips on her neck. Instinctually, Quinn pushed them away and heard the girl fall of the bed with a squeal.

"Quinn!"

Quinn's eyes flew open to see Rachel on the floor beside the bed. On her other side, Santana was hysterically laughing.

"Oh my God, Rach, I'm so sorry. I thought Santana was messing with me." She reached down to help up her frowning girlfriend.

"That's the last time I ever authorize you to share a bed with Quinn if that's the thanks I get," said Rachel, glaring at Santana. The Latina just laughed harder.

"It's not my fault that blondie over there kissed me this morning thinking I was your sweet ass." Quinn's face was painted with guilt as she looked up at Rachel. Rachel just rolled her eyes and climbed into the bed between the two girls.

They laid there in silence, relishing in the peace. Everybody else was still passed out downstairs. Brittany bounded happily into the room and wasted no time in squeezing herself onto the bed with her friends.

"What are we doing for girls' day this year?" asked Brittany, snuggling her head into Santana's cleavage.

"Girls' day?" asked Rachel. She had developed a friendship with Quinn over their senior year, but she still hadn't gotten invited to all of the Unholy Trinity traditions.

"We always spend the first day of the new year with no distractions from boys. It basically started to give us a break from whatever dumb jock Quinn was dating at the time. But I guess the purpose has kind of been defeated seeing as we don't really care about guys anymore," explained Santana.

"In that case, why don't we just have a double date day?" replied Rachel excitedly.

"Because that is the lamest thing I've ever heard, Berry."

"As opposed to what you're planning for girls' day? My guess is a trip to the mall, followed by painting your nails and watching chick flicks while sharing a pizza in one of your bedrooms. At least if we make it a double date, it can be more fun than your typical afternoon in Lima."

"I like Rachel's plan, Sanny," said Brittany, jumping up excitedly. Rachel knew she had won; Santana had an inability to say no to Britt.

"What's the agenda for this, Berry?" asked Santana with a scowl.

"Laser tag, couples' massages, dinner, and an evening show of _The Sound of Music_ at the community theater. It's a little something for everybody." Rachel beamed at her plan. Quinn shrugged her shoulders at Santana, knowing there was no arguing with it. The plan was more fun than their typical first day of the New Year activities and Rachel actually had found something that everybody would enjoy.

"Fine, but first we need hangover brunch and you two need a shower, you're radiating post-sex hormones and it's nauseating."

They pulled themselves out of bed and Quinn dropped her friends off at Santana's before driving to her own house with Rachel. Judy had stayed out with her friends, so the house was blissfully empty. Quinn's lips were on Rachel's as soon as she discovered that they were alone and Rachel didn't hesitate to match her passion.

"Baby, we need to shower. We have to meet San and Brittany in less than an hour," mumbled Rachel against Quinn's lips. Quinn forced herself to pull back slightly from the brunette.

"Shower with me?" she said with an impish grin. Rachel let Quinn lead her upstairs and into the bathroom. Quinn turned the water on and went about undressing herself and Rachel before pulling the brunette into the hot water with her.

"We have to be quick," said Rachel seriously, already lathering Quinn's lavender shampoo into her hair.

"Not a problem," husked Quinn and her fingers immediately found Rachel's clit and began rubbing circles on it. Rachel's knees buckled in surprise and Quinn grabbed her around the waist, steadying Rachel against her own naked body.

"Fuck, Quinn. You're too damn good at this," moaned Rachel as Quinn dipped a finger down and penetrated Rachel's already slick hole. The blonde's lips found the valley of Rachel's neck and began kissing and biting softly as pushed Rachel towards the finish line.

"Come for me, Rach. I wanna hear that beautiful voice of yours in the perfect acoustics of the shower." Rachel melted at the words. She had told Quinn that singing in the shower was her favorite because of the acoustics, but now Quinn wanted to use that knowledge to hear Rachel screaming her name. Quinn's fingers went back to her clit and rubbed furious circles, pushing white-hot heat into Rachel's lower abdomen. She returned her mouth to Rachel's and the feeling of Quinn sucking on her tongue while her fingers worked below sent Rachel over the edge. Quinn held her tightly as she rode out her orgasm, keeping her legs from turning to jelly.

"You're amazing," breathed Rachel, letting her body mold into Quinn's and basking in the feel of the water running down her back.

"Let's get you clean now, we have to meet S and B since you planned this elaborate day instead of letting us be cuddly couch potatoes all afternoon," said Quinn, grabbing the loofah off of the hook and lathering it up. She ran the soap down Rachel's front, making the brunette giggle as she paid special attention to her breasts and raked her fingers down Rachel's stomach, leaving trails in the soap.

They finished showering and were in Quinn's room picking out what to wear.

Rachel had built up a mini wardrobe at Quinn's over the past couple of weeks.

"How about I pick your outfit and you pick mine?" said Quinn with a sly grin. Rachel looked apprehensive but nodded and Quinn ran to the closet to pick out Rachel's clothes. She emerged with a sinfully short plaid skirt and a matching blue v-neck sweater that showed a sliver of stomach when Rachel lifted her arms.

"Quinn, there's no way I'm wearing that. We're going to play laser tag first and Santana will make me walk five feet behind her if I dress like I did in high school!"

"But, baby.." whined Quinn, curling her lips into the most adorable pout that she could muster. Rachel ignored her and instead pulled a pair of black skinny jeans out of Quinn's bottom drawer and slipped into them before walking into the closet. She found a tight blouse that she knew Quinn loved on her and emerged fully dressed.

"If you want to live out your plaid skirt fantasies tonight, fine. But I'm not going out dressed like that," said Rachel with her arms crossed across her chest. Quinn was eye-fucking Rachel in the outfit she had chosen and was just nodding stupidly. Rachel rolled her eyes. "God, Quinn, you're such a boy sometimes!"

Rachel walked back into the closet and yanked some clothes off of hangers before tossing them at Quinn.

"Get dressed, we're going to be late." Quinn didn't argue and instead slid into her own pair of jeans and pulled the shirt over her head. They finished getting ready and as soon as they got into Quinn's car, her phone was ringing.

"Where the fuck are you guys?" asked Santana, bypassing a greeting like usual.

"Quinn is driving to your house at the moment. We will be there shortly," replied Rachel after having refused to let Quinn answer the phone. Santana hung up, having gotten the necessary information and Rachel huffed.

"At least she doesn't hate you anymore," said Quinn with a shrug. "I think Brittany is the only one she says goodbye to. I've seen her hang up like that on her own mother." She flipped on the radio and distracted Rachel, who immediately began singing along.

Quinn pulled into Santana's driveway and they walked to the front door. Rachel went to ring the bell, but Quinn just took her hand and led her into the house. Mrs. Lopez was sitting in the living room reading.

"Hey, Mrs. Lopez," Quinn said cheerfully as she led Rachel into the room. The brunette looked terrified, she had only been in Santana's house a handful of times.

"Quinn, sweetie! Yale looks like it is treating you well!" Mrs. Lopez said, looking up at the smiling blonde ex-cheerleader.

"It definitely is. This is my girlfriend, Rachel Berry," Quinn said, pulling Rachel forward.

"You're the little singing girl that Santana used to be awful to. I'm glad you girls grew out of that, Quinn. Your voice is simply stunning, my dear. Santana used to watch your videos online all the time." Quinn burst into raucous laughter at this tidbit.

Santana and Brittany appeared in the doorway, Santana glaring at Quinn. Rachel looked terrified and held on tightly to Quinn's hand.

"Let's go," said Santana before stomping out the front door. Brittany called a goodbye to Mrs. Lopez before skipping behind her.

"It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Lopez," said Rachel and they turned to follow their friends out.

The drive to the laser tag place was very quiet. Santana was fuming that her mom had given Quinn and Rachel blackmail material. Rachel was absolutely terrified to set off the Latina and sat in complete silence for once. Brittany hummed along merrily with the radio, completely oblivious to the tension in the car.

Quinn sighed in relief when they pulled into the parking lot of their destination. Santana loved laser tag, even though it was another thing she would probably be unlikely to admit to. There was something about acting like a kid and getting to be super competitive that lit a fire in her. At the worst, she was sure that Brittany and Santana would be able to find a dark corner to hook up in and she would be cheerful again before the next leg of the itinerary.

Laser tag did not disappoint. Quinn and Rachel lost spectacularly. Rachel was anything but athletic and her loud voice kept giving away their hiding spots. Every time she got shot, she squealed loudly and Quinn couldn't help but melt at how adorable she was. Santana was in her glory and wasted no time in gunning them all down, including the ten-year-old boys that were running around with them.

By the time they left and were heading to the spa for massages, Santana's mood had improved drastically.

"You tell anybody what mami told you and I will kill you with my own hands, Berry," Santana had growled and when Rachel responded by nodding her head frantically, Santana settled back into the seat with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Half an hour later, Quinn walked into the room with four massage tables wrapped in a fluffy white robe. Rachel emerged from her own changing room, her dark hair falling in waves over her shoulders and standing out against the brilliantly white robe. Brittany and Santana stumbled out of the same room, Brittany's robe wide open at the front. Rachel's mouth dropped open.

"Britt, your robe.." she mumbled awkwardly.

"We have to get naked anyway," she responded nonchalantly. "Quinn is used to it," she added. Rachel's head snapped to Quinn.

"Cheerios locker room, Rach. Believe me, I avoided them in a bedroom together at all costs," Quinn said in her defense. Brittany hopped up on one of the tables and tore off her robe completely, sprawling out. Rachel was pointedly looking in the opposite direction.

"Can't take how sexy my Britts is, Berry?" asked Santana with a smirk. Rachel ignored her and continued to stare at the wall. Their masseuses walked in at that moment.

Rachel, Quinn, and Santana sauntered over to the remaining tables and shrugged off their robes when they were covered by the sheets and put their faces through the hole as they laid down.

Quinn had never gotten a massage and as soon as she felt the woman's hands on her back working out the knots, she had to bite back a moan. Five minutes into the massage she made her lip bleed as she continued to struggle. She had never imagined that someone's hands could be so amazing when they weren't touching her intimately.

"Enjoying yourself, Q?" asked Santana from the table on her right. Quinn mumbled through an answer, her focus on the magical hands on her shoulders.

By the time their hour was over, Quinn felt as though she could just fall asleep on the table with how relaxed she was.

"Get your ass up, I'm starving," said Santana, slapping Quinn's ass as she sashayed past her towards the dressing room. Rachel had already disappeared into her own. Quinn jumped at the unexpected contact and forced herself off the table and back into her robe.

Quinn was in her dressing room, pulling back on her tight jeans when there was a light knock on the door. Quinn unlocked it and peeked her head out, keeping herself covered. Rachel was standing there fully dressed.

"San and Britt are going at it," she whispered as Quinn moved to let her into the small room. Quinn just rolled her eyes.

"Are you really surprised? They're like rabbits that don't actually reproduce." She went to pull her shirt on, but Rachel's hands were in the way. The small brunette wrapped her arms around her and pulled Quinn in for a deep kiss, the pads of her fingers dancing against the exposed skin. "Mmm, you have magical hands too," murmured Quinn.

"If you're lucky, I'll give you a private massage with them soon," said Rachel into her ear, her voice dripping sex. Quinn bit down on her already sore lip. With that, Rachel slipped back out of the dressing room, leaving Quinn to finish getting dressed.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Seriously, this place sucks. I need breadsticks to survive." Santana was pouting at the dinner table.

"It's a Mexican place, San. Deal with the fact that you can eat all the chips and salsa you want instead," said Quinn, glaring at her. She had talked Santana out of going to Breadstix, knowing that they had no vegan options other than a plain salad, but the Latina still wasn't pleased.

"If I wanted salsa, I would have had dinner with my parents tonight." Brittany placed her hand over Santana's, her eyes pleading with the Latina to just enjoy the meal. Thankfully, it worked like a charm and Santana cooled her attitude.

Their food came and they ate hungrily. Rachel kept glancing at the time on her phone, paranoid that they were going to miss the beginning of the play. It was, of course, the part of the night she had planned for her own amusement. As soon as the bill was paid, she was herding them to the car and towards the theatre on the outskirts of town.

Quinn managed to actually enjoy the play. She would never been obsessed with musicals the way Rachel was, but it was amusing to watch the brunette sit on the edge of her seat and recite almost every line under her breath. As the play began nearing the end, Quinn leaned over to whisper in Rachel's ear.

"You'll be up there some day, but on a much bigger stage. I hear there are more lights on the Broadway stages."

Rachel beamed at her girlfriend and crashed their lips together. For the rest of the play, Rachel's hand was glued to Quinn's, running lazy circles over the back of it with her thumb.

"Gosh, this was the perfect day," gushed Rachel as they walked through the tiny lobby and out into the cold winter air.

"This was the best New Year we've ever done!" exclaimed Brittany, hugging Rachel's shoulder as they walked back to the car. "But New Year girls' day always ends with a sleepover!" She looked at Santana pointedly.

"Fine, Berry and Q can sleepover if they want," said Santana exasperatedly. Brittany squealed with delight.

"Can we all sleep in the living room like we used to, Sanny?" asked Britt. Once they had started hooking up during sophomore year, they had opted to sleep in Santana's room and Quinn would take the guest bedroom down the hall. Santana knew there was no chance that she was going to be able to convince Brittany otherwise. She gave a weak nod, but smiled widely when the blonde jumped into her arms and peppered her face with kisses.

Rachel looked at Quinn in alarm. She never had imagined that she would be invited to an exclusive sleepover with Santana. Then again, she had never thought that head cheerleader Quinn Fabray would be dating her. Life was definitely not going as she had planned.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Sorry that it's taken me longer than usual to update! Life just kind of got away from me this week. Thanks for sticking with it **

**Chapter 40**

Rachel made her way down to Santana's living room feeling extremely nervous. She had insisted they stop at her house so she could pack an overnight bag and she had just finished her nightly cleansing routine and had put on her pajamas. The three ex-cheerleaders were laughing loudly over the sound of the television as Rachel walked slowly through the hallway and paused at the doorway.

She had been to sleepovers before, but typically they only involved the less-cool girls from glee club and Kurt. It had taken a long time for Rachel to even feel comfortable with the likes of Mercedes and Tina, but now she found herself with the three coolest girls from her grade.

Quinn heard her footsteps and turned to see Rachel standing there in Quinn's cheerio sweatshirt and an extremely short pair of sleep shorts. She smiled brightly and beckoned Rachel to come join them.

On the coffee table sat a bottle of wine and Rachel noticed that the other three girls were clutching wine glasses casually as they lounged on the couch. Santana poured a fourth glass and thrust it into Rachel's hand as she took a seat next to Quinn on the loveseat.

"We don't bite, Berry," said Santana, reading the fear on Rachel's face.

"I know that," said Rachel in a soft voice, avoiding the eyes of the girl that tortured her for so many years.

"You're one of us, Rach," said Britt with a smile as she skipped over to the DVD player to put in a movie. Rachel relaxed a little at Brittany's words. The tall blonde was always so genuine. Quinn found her hand and ran her thumb in circles in Rachel's palm, instantly soothing her.

The movie started, but Quinn's attention was fixated on the small girl wrapped in her arms. She couldn't keep her hands off of Rachel's silky skin. The brunette's legs stretched forever in her tiny shorts and Quinn's fingers stroked the tan thighs, occasionally causing Rachel to shudder under her touch. She silently cursed herself for agreeing to this sleepover when she could be in Rachel's soundproof bedroom having her way with her girlfriend.

"Quinn, do you hear that?" whispered Rachel into Quinn's ear. The bottle of wine was long gone and the movie was half over. Quinn listened for a second and heard quiet moans.

"Jesus, I don't even know why I like them sometimes," murmured Quinn back. She knew if she turned her head she would get a show that she really didn't want to see.

Rachel's head turned towards the other couch and quickly snapped back.

"Oh my gosh, Santana's head is under the blanket," she whispered urgently.

"Why would you look?" asked Quinn softly. "That's like asking to be scarred for life."

"You're not as quiet as you think you are," called Santana from beneath the blanket.

"Neither are you," Quinn shot back. "Well, I should say Britt isn't since she's the one that's moaning over there."

"You can just do the same to Rach. She looks like she needs it, Q," said Britt innocently before tilting her head back in pleasure. Quinn stood up, her cheeks deeply flushed.

"I need to go to the bathroom," she mumbled before fleeing the room. As soon as she was safely locked in the bathroom down the hall, she splashed cold water on her burning face.

There was a knock on the door behind her.

"Quinn?" called Rachel tentatively through the door. Quinn sighed before unlocking the door and watching Rachel enter the room, shutting the door behind her.

"What are you doing, Rach?" Quinn asked her hands leaning on the cold marble countertop.

"You left me in a room with them! I couldn't be in there with that alone! Plus, it just made me want you.." she purred against the back of Quinn's neck. The hairs on Quinn's neck stood up at the feel of Rachel's breath.

"Rach.." said Quinn cautiously turning to face her girlfriend. There was no denying that Rachel was turned on; her eyes were so dark and full of lust. Rachel bridged the distance and pushed her lips roughly against Quinn's, effectively pinning the blonde back against the counter at the same time.

Before Quinn could protest, Rachel's hands were under her shirt and teared it over her head, only pausing her kiss long enough to discard of the offending garment. Quinn moaned as Rachel sucked lightly on her tongue, her hands palming the perky breasts through her bra.

"Fuck, babe.." mumbled Quinn as Rachel's head moved down to her neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses and pausing to suck and nip at her collarbone. One of Rachel's hands found the waistband of Quinn's sweatpants and tugged them down with her panties until they were sitting as a heap around her ankles. Quinn reached up and unsnapped her own bra and tossed it on the floor with her shirt. Rachel wasted no time in moving her mouth to capture a pebbled nipple with her lips, causing Quinn to let out a loud groan as she pushed her hips into Rachel's body.

"Damn, you're so sexy, Quinn Fabray," groaned Rachel and she began kissing down the ex-Cheerio's still perfect abs, feeling them tense under her delicate touch. Her hands grasped Quinn's hips as she lowered herself until her face was hovering right above Quinn's dripping sex.

"Please, baby," begged Quinn, desperate for any touch. Rachel couldn't resist the needy pleas and let her warm breath rake over Quinn before moving closer and letting her tongue slide up the length of the blonde's wet slit. Quinn let out another moan and tangled her fingers into the long brown hair as Rachel's tongue began circling her clit.

She knew she couldn't scream out, but Rachel's tongue felt so fantastic that it was difficult to keep her pleasure in. She was panting heavily and her hips were rocking into Rachel's mouth, pushing the brunette to hit her hardened clit and push her towards her looming orgasm.

The door crashed open and Rachel didn't stop. Quinn was so lost in her girlfriend and Rachel pushed two fingers in her, pushing Quinn so close to the edge. Quinn moaned Rachel's name as quietly as she could manage as her walls clenched tightly around the diva's slender fingers.

"Damn, what a show, Berry. Who knew you could use that mouth for something other than belting out Streisand." Rachel's fingers went rigid inside Quinn and the blonde's eyes shot open at the disturbance.

"Fuck, Lopez, don't you have anything better to do?" groaned Quinn, reaching down to grab her clothes.

"That was super hot, Q," said Brittany, licking her lips and her eyes not leaving Quinn's naked body. Quinn hastily pulled her clothes on, glaring at Santana. Rachel just looked awkward and avoided everybody's eyes.

Quinn pushed past them and headed back into the living room, downing the rest of glass of wine before pouring herself another and proceeding to pound that one as well. The other girls reentered the room and Rachel slipped the wine glass out of Quinn's hand and put it back down on the table carefully. Quinn glared up at Santana again before resuming her spot on the couch and looking away pointedly.

"Look, I'm sorry, Q. I didn't mean to get you all pissed," Santana said under the stern gazes from Rachel and Brittany.

"I left the room so you could finish, but you don't let me finish. How is that fair?" pouted Quinn. Santana let out a laugh.

"You're upset because you didn't hit the big O?" laughed Santana. "You need to learn some discretion, my friend. I didn't think you'd want to wake Mama Lopez as you belt out Berry's name for the whole house to hear." Quinn's face went scarlet again.

"Can we just go to sleep?" asked Rachel quietly. They nodded their agreement and Rachel grabbed a blanket before snuggling into Quinn tightly on the narrow couch. Normally Quinn would have just insisted on sleeping on the floor, but Rachel was pressed so tightly to her with her head on Quinn's chest that the blonde couldn't find it in herself to object. Santana and Brittany rustled around getting comfortable on the other couch amongst their whispered giggles, but Quinn drowned them out, focusing instead on the soft breathing of the girl in her arms.

Quinn woke the next morning with a stiff neck, but smiled at the tiny girl that was still sleeping peacefully tangled up in her arms. She looked over to the other couch to see her friends spooning. Brittany was cuddled into Santana's front as the little spoon, making the Latina look tiny. Santana looked almost angelic in her sleep with the smirk that typically frequented her face missing.

Her girlfriend stirred in her arms and Quinn turned her attention back to her.

"Mmm.." said Rachel, snuggling even tighter to Quinn. "Morning, baby."

"Good morning. Look…" said Quinn quietly, nodding towards their sleeping friends on the other couch.

"Aww, Santana actually looks human," whispered Rachel. Quinn had to stifle a giggle.

"C'mon, I bet Mama Lopez is awake. She makes the best breakfast burritos and I'm sure there's something bland and tasteless for you too," said Quinn. Rachel rolled her eyes and leaped up off of the couch. She followed Quinn down the hallway and into an expansive kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops set against dark wood. Santana's mom was sitting at the breakfast table with a mug of coffee and the newspaper.

"Good morning, girls! Coffee?" she said in greeting. Quinn nodded appreciatively and followed Mrs. Lopez towards the coffee maker, grabbing a mug out of a cabinet on her way. "Quinn, I'm sure you want a breakfast burrito. How about you, Rachel?" she asked pleasantly.

"Actually Rachel is a vegan, Mrs. L," answer Quinn for her girlfriend.

"Does fruit salad work? Tana didn't mention that you were a vegan or I would have picked up stuff for you," said Mrs. Lopez, glancing up at Rachel as she began scrambling eggs for Quinn.

"That sounds perfect," replied Rachel with an enthusiastic smile. She couldn't believe that such a friendly woman could have produced Santana. Brittany and Santana wandered into the room and the blonde hugged Mrs. Lopez in greeting. Mrs. Lopez laughed at the affectionate girl and pulled a box of Lucky Charms out of the cabinet for her. Brittany took it and got the rest of her supplies for cereal before joining Rachel and Quinn at the table. Santana just grunted and took Quinn's coffee from her hand and helping herself to a large gulp.

"Santana Isabel Lopez, learn some manners!" scolded Mrs. Lopez. "Honestly, I should have never let your grandmother babysit you so much as a child, your sister was never like this." Santana just shrugged and continued to drink Quinn's coffee.

"Ma, where's mine?" whined Santana as Mrs. Lopez put an enormous burrito and fresh mug of coffee down in front of Quinn. Quinn smirked and took a big bite to rub it in Santana's face. As soon as Mrs. Lopez had turned around, the younger Latina flipped Quinn off. Her mom quickly dropped a burrito in front of her as well, along with a big bowl of fruit for Rachel.

After breakfast, the girls figured they should head out. Rachel had plans with her dads for the day, so Quinn swung into her driveway and turned to face the brunette. Rachel was looking vibrant, her hair unkempt and her face makeup free.

"You're beautiful," breathed Quinn, leaning in for a kiss.

"And you're a sweet talker," said Rachel, her lips curling into a smile. "Can I see you tonight?"

"I sure hope so," said Quinn, giving one final kiss before Rachel opened the door and skipped up to her front door. The blonde watched her enter and waved when Rachel turned around. With that, the brunette disappeared into the house and Quinn backed out of the driveway and headed towards her own house.

"Quinnie?" called Judy as the front door opened and Quinn walked into the foyer.

"Yeah, it's me," said Quinn, pulling off her coat and hanging it in the closet. Judy appeared in the hallway.

"Are you spending the day with Rachel today?" she asked, her tone sounding sad. Quinn looked up to meet her mother's eyes.

"No, she is spending the day with her dads. I was thinking to call Shelby and see if she'd let me have Beth for a couple of hours," said Quinn tentatively. Judy didn't break their eye contact. "Would you like to meet her mom?"

Judy didn't say anything right away. She could see how uncomfortable Quinn was with the situation, but she could also see how much it would mean to her youngest daughter for her to meet the daughter she was forced to give up.

"Is that what you want, sweetie?" she asked. She didn't want Quinn to feel like it was required of her.

"I know you'll get to have a real grandchild when Frannie's baby comes along and I know that Beth will grow up with Shelby's parents as grandparents, but I have a chance to be in her life and I want her to know the people that are important to me. Is that stupid?"

"Of course not, honey. I'd love to meet her." Judy smiled at the relief that flooded Quinn's face and watched her daughter skip upstairs to call Shelby.

The doorbell rang and Quinn rushed to the door and swung it open. Shelby was standing there with a giant diaper bag slung over her shoulder and Beth resting on her hip.

"Hi!" squealed Quinn enthusiastically. Beth reached her arms out and Quinn took her from Shelby before inviting them inside. She pulled off Beth's hat and jacket and watched the little girl toddle around the foyer. An older blonde appeared from the hallway and her eyes immediately watered at the sight of her daughter with the tiny blonde child. She swiped at the escaped tear and walked towards them.

"You must be Shelby," said Judy, extending her hand to the dark haired woman. There was no mistaking that this woman was related to her daughter's girlfriend. Shelby smiled and accepted her hand. "Judy Fabray."

"Nice to meet you, Judy," said Shelby. "Everything she needs is in her diaper bag. Quinn, you have my phone number if you need anything. I'll swing by and get her around 4 if that's okay." Quinn looked up from her spot on the floor with Beth.

"Thanks for this, Shelby, I really appreciate it." Judy's eyes teared again at how much Quinn was glowing.

"Of course. I'll see you at 4," replied Shelby before heading back out the front door.

Quinn picked up her lookalike so that the small girl was level with Judy.

"Beth, this is Judy. She's going to play with us today." Quinn's voice was soft and protective. Judy reached out to her granddaughter at the little girl wrapped her little hand around Judy's finger for a minute before shrinking back into Quinn. The older blonde laughed lightly before soothing her daughter. Judy picked up the diaper bag and followed Quinn into the den.

They settled on the floor and Quinn pulled out the toys that Shelby had packed in the bag. Beth was humming happily as she pushed a train across the rug.

"Can you watch her for a minute, Mom? I'll be right back." Judy nodded as Quinn ran from the room and pounded up the stairs. She watched her granddaughter crawl along the floor laughing as she made incoherent noises.

Quinn appeared with her camera strap around her neck. She immediately started pushing buttons on the back of it before lifting it to her face and adjusting a complicated looking lens. She focused on the little girl crawling around on her knees and Judy heard a series of clicks before Quinn pulled it away from her face and scrolled through the pictures she had just snapped. Quinn placed the camera down on the coffee table and plopped down on the floor next to her daughter, picking up a toy car and making engine-revving noises.

The afternoon flew by as the three of them played on the floor of the den, just three blondes laughing and enjoying one another. Judy had seen how happy Quinn had been over the past month. She had never imagined this life for either of her daughters: a teenage pregnancy and a child given up, a homosexual relationship. It was never the life plan, but for some reason, it seemed so natural. Quinn was hardly beyond being a child herself, but the three year old in her lap just seemed to fit. There was no doubt in Judy's mind that Quinn was in love with the bubbly brunette. It definitely wasn't the life she and Russell had mapped out for their talented, driven, beautiful youngest child, but it felt like everything was falling into place.

"Daddy!" squealed Rachel as Leroy blew a handful of flour into his daughter's face, the white powder settling all over her shirt and in her hair. The three of them were baking, or attempting to anyway.

The radio was turned up and Hiram was wiggling his hips and singing along as he broke the eggs into a bowl. Rachel was working on the vegan batches of cookies on the other counter, harmonizing with her Dad.

It had been the perfect afternoon. They had made a big lunch together and took the time to sit and talk. Rachel was positively glowing in a way they had never seen. New York was treating her well and her first semester grades were excellent. They always figured she would flourish once she escaped from her high school bullies, but they never expected the biggest bully to become the most important person in her life. Rachel glowed when she talked about her Broadway dreams, but she beamed when Quinn was the topic of discussion.

Hiram glanced over at his husband and daughter as they tossed ingredients at one another, dancing around the island in the kitchen and ducking from attacks. This was what he had always hoped life would be like: a house full of a love, a happy child.

Middle school and high school were rough years for all of them. Rachel tried to keep them in the dark about the bullying she endured on a daily basis, but it was hard to do so when her clothes were often stained with colored corn syrup. Hiram and Leroy wanted to run down to the school and deal with it themselves, but she begged them to not get involved. It was a constant whispered discussion when Rachel would come home and disappear into her bedroom crying day after day.

But then Quinn changed and Rachel's world changed. Rachel had dated popular boys like Finn, but the bullying didn't calm down until she and Quinn had stopped being enemies and started down the slow road towards a real friendship.

The Berry men had been glad when she let go of Finn. He was a caring young man that loved their daughter, but he was never going to measure up to her lofty goals and persistent ambition. They figured she would meet someone at NYADA and build a Broadway future together. Yet her former tormentor turned best friend managed to steal her heart before any talented young man had a chance.

There was no denying that Quinn complimented Rachel. She supported and believed in Rachel's dreams, but she had her own dreams. The blonde had a gift in calming down Rachel's overbearing nature and keeping her grounded. But most of all, she loved Rachel deeply and unconditionally.

Once the cookies were in the oven and the timer was set, the three of them settled down in the living room, mugs of hot chocolate in hand.

"Dads, when did you know that you were meant to be together forever?" asked Rachel, her innocent wide-eyed face staring at them. Hiram laughed and turned to Leroy.

"I don't think there's just one moment when you know that, sweetie. It's a progression. There might be a day of realization, but it's always been there and it always will be. You notice every day that you're falling more and more in love and even though it's getting deeper and more serious, you're not afraid because you can feel it in your heart that you won't lose them. That they won't hurt you the way the others had," answered Hiram.

"I'm still scared that it's too perfect to last," she said, barely louder than a whisper. "I'm scared that I'm too happy and that it's all going to come crashing down around me." The tears rolled down her cheeks and Leroy moved to wrap his arms around her.

"Baby girl, Quinn loves you so much. I know you can see that, but we see beyond what you do. That girl would give you the world, even if it meant throwing herself away to make sure your happiness is preserved. Your history is spotty and I know why you have your doubts about her, but Quinn is not going to go anywhere, Rachel."

She let her father hold her until the timer for the cookies went off. Her fathers kissed her forehead and headed into the kitchen, leaving Rachel to her thoughts. She wiped away the lingering tears on her cheeks and settled back into the couch cushions. In her heart, she knew that her dad was completely right about everything. Through most of high school, Rachel had learned to survive rather than really live. Reflecting back, even her relationship with Finn had been an attempt at upgrading her social status to a certain extent. Over time, she let go of the idea of happiness and focused all of her energy into escaping Lima and heading to New York.

Then Quinn made her transformation from the evil bitch in the Cheerio uniform that made Rachel's life a living hell to the sweet girl in baby doll dresses that would eventually become her best friend. Quinn had held all the power in their relationship since middle school. When she decided to befriend Rachel instead of being her worst nightmare, all of the bullying stopped and Rachel's popularity immediately rose. Once Quinn really became her best friend and they became practically inseparable during senior year, Rachel finally had a chance to work on finding happiness. The fights over boys had stopped and Quinn even encouraged her to get back together with Finn.

The summer after graduation had brought them even closer and Rachel held on desperately to that connection, terrified that it would dissipate when they went their separate ways in September. It was her ulterior reasoning for planning the lake house vacation because it meant that there would be one last fond memory with the friends she had never imagined she would have before they all moved on and forgot about her.

But then the kiss happened and Rachel was flooded with all of the feelings she had denied herself for so long. Quinn had a spell over her long before the kiss, but once it occurred, she knew there would be no going back. The passion within her ignited and she allowed herself to fall into the arms of the most beautiful girl she had ever met, the girl that had been her tormentor for so long and the best friend she had.

It had been almost five months since the lake house. They had all survived their first semester apart. The friendships were still strong despite the distance. Rachel had fallen for Quinn and they came out to their families and friends. Life was perfect and definitely too good to be true. Quinn Fabray loved her.

Her dad calling her name from the kitchen pulled Rachel out of her thoughts. The sweet aroma of the cookies cooling on the countertop greeted her. Leroy hummed quietly as he cleaned up the mess and she sat down on her stool at the island, tears dried up and a smile returned to her face.

"There's my Rachel," said Leroy, his hand brushing lightly against her cheek. "Why don't you see if Quinn and Judy would like to join us for dinner?" It was more of a request than a question, but Rachel was happy to oblige. She pulled out her cell and sent Quinn a text.

**-Dads want to know if you and your mom would like to come over for dinner.**

**-Mom and I are in. We have Beth until 4 so does around 6:30 work?**

**-That's perfect. Love you, Quinn.**

**-Love you too.**

Rachel informed her dads that the Fabrays were going to come over before heading up to her bedroom.

Quinn hadn't mentioned that she was seeing Beth today, but Rachel figured it had to have been a last minute arrangement. It sounded like Judy was with them too, finally getting to see her granddaughter for the first time since the hospital.

Rachel wanted to see Quinn with Beth, but that road was a rocky one. The wounds from finding Shelby and then being abandoned again were just starting to heal. Beth was, in a crude sense, her replacement as Shelby's daughter. But Rachel couldn't despise Beth. She was her girlfriend's biological daughter and probably the most important person in Quinn's life. Rachel felt guilty that she was letting her own emotions towards Shelby get in the way of supporting Quinn as she got to know Beth, so she vowed to herself to make it right before they went back to school.

Rachel showered and got dressed in a simple skirt and sweater. The skirt was one similar to her high school collection and she knew Quinn wouldn't be able to keep her eyes off of the exposed tan legs. She turned on her stereo before settling down at her vanity to do her hair and makeup and sang along happily.

By six, she was completely ready and joined Leroy in the living room, where he was reading the newspaper in his favorite armchair. Hiram's singing drifted in from the kitchen as he worked on dinner.

She picked up the book Quinn had lent her earlier in the week after insisting that it was classic and every person should read it. The binding was cracked and worn in and the pages were covered in underlined sentences and notes in the margins. Quinn never just read. She immersed herself in books, taking in words and analyzing them. Pages were dog-eared so she could return to read her favorite lines on a moment's notice. Rachel had tried to convince her to get a Kindle because her collection was so large and so many of them were on the verge of falling apart, but Quinn refused, saying she liked the feel and smell of a real book in her hands.

Rachel found Quinn's notes more interesting than the actual story. Her loopy handwriting was cramped into the slim margins and basically told the story through Quinn's eyes.

The doorbell rang at 6:30 sharp and Rachel bounded to the front door, finding the blonde Fabray women on the front porch. She invited them in and took their coats and the bottle of wine Judy was holding. Rachel led them into the living room where Leroy was still sitting and Quinn's fingers interlocked with hers. They were still cold from the winter air.

Hiram called them for dinner shortly after and they sat down at the dining room table. Rachel felt squeeze her bare thigh as they settled down and it sent shivers down her spine. Quinn grinned at her, knowing that she was driving the girl crazy. Most of the meal was spent with Quinn's hand firmly on Rachel's leg, sometimes dragging her nails over the skin and making Rachel clamp her legs tightly together.

The adults seemed oblivious as they chatted animatedly. Rachel was much quieter than normal as she tried to maintain her cool under Quinn's touch that seemed to creep closer and closer to her short hemline.

"Maybe you'll learn to not tease me with these skirts," murmured Quinn in her ear and she leaned over to pick up the pitcher of water. Rachel flushed and shoveled another mouthful of pasta into her mouth.

The girls excused themselves as soon as they were finished and Rachel practically dragged Quinn to her bedroom.

"You are so bad, Quinn Fabray!" Rachel said, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she scolded the blonde. Quinn cracked a smile at Rachel's stern face and pulled Rachel's sweater until she was in her arms.

"Missed you today too, baby," said Quinn quietly, silencing Rachel's forthcoming lecture with a sweet kiss. Rachel huffed and pulled away, but her annoyance was quickly fading. "Did you have fun with your dads?" she asked.

"For the most part. I was kind of feeling down today." She averted her eyes from Quinn's piercing gaze. She hadn't planned on telling Quinn about her insecurities, but it was really hard to not talk to her best friend about everything.

"About what?" Quinn asked soothingly, pulling her down onto the bed and lying down next to her, head propped up on her hand.

"Us. It's really stupid," mumbled Rachel, fiddling with the edge of her comforter.

"Did I do something to upset you?" Quinn looked really concerned.

"No, of course not! I'm just being insecure. I don't feel like I deserve someone as amazing and beautiful as you. It doesn't seem right that I am so happy with you and I feel like it's just a matter of time before it comes crashing down." Tears betrayed Rachel again and ran slowly down her cheeks. Quinn's thumb was immediately wiping them away.

"Baby, look at me," said Quinn softly, using her hand to pull Rachel's chin up. "It's me that isn't worthy of your love. I was terrible to you when you never deserved it. I broke your confidence and made you feel like nothing when you deserved the world. You're incredibly talented and beautiful and genuine. Don't be afraid to lose this because we're made for each other. I have no idea how fate made this happen, but I'm never going to let you fall without being there to catch you." Rachel's tears continued to fall, but a smile ghosted across her lips.

"You always know exactly what to say," mumbled Rachel. She rolled into Quinn and let the blonde wrap her arms around her, letting her head rest on Quinn's chest. She listened to her heartbeat and let it calm her. "You got to see Beth today?" asked Rachel quietly.

"Yeah, I called Shelby when I got home to see if I could watch her for a few hours, so Shelby dropped her off at my house and my mom and I spent the afternoon with her." It was impossible to miss the excitement in Quinn's voice at the mention of Beth. This break and getting to know her daughter had been exactly what Quinn needed.

"I was thinking that if you were okay with it that I would like to meet her before we go back to school."

"You want to meet Beth? Are you sure because you'll probably have to see Shelby then and I don't want you to have to do that for me, Rach." Quinn's eyes looked concerned again.

"I thought about it a lot today. Spending time with you and Beth is worth trying to build a relationship with Shelby. She'll never be the mother I always wanted, but she does know a lot about the theater business and she's a huge part of your daughter's life and I want to be a part of your life in that way if you will allow me to be."

"I love you, Rachel," was all Quinn said in reply. She wrapped her arms tighter around the brunette and held her close until Hiram called upstairs that it was time for dessert.

They devoured the cookies and pie that the Berrys had baked that afternoon and sat with mugs of coffee at the dining room table, chatting happily. Quinn couldn't help but feel so content. She was surrounded by people she loved and her life felt like it was on the right track. Rachel even wanted to get to know Beth. It was more than she had ever let herself hope for. She met Rachel's eyes over the rim of her mug and Rachel flashed the smile she reserved for only Quinn. Her heart melted.

Eventually, Judy and Quinn were layered back up in their winter jackets. They bade farewell to the Berry men and Rachel said goodbye to Judy. The adults seemed to disappear and gave her and Quinn a moment to say goodbye.

"I'll see you tomorrow after your lunch with Kurt and Mercedes?" asked Quinn.

"I can't wait," said Rachel.

"I'm going to meet up with Puck and Sam probably, so just call me when you're done." Quinn reached for Rachel's hand and tugged the smaller girl into her arms. "I'll call you to say goodnight when I'm ready for bed."

Rachel slung her arms around Quinn's neck and kissed her hard. Quinn met it with matched enthusiasm and tightened her grip on Rachel's waist. Judy honked the horn in the car, signaling that it was time for Quinn to go. She kissed the brunette one more time before extracting herself from Rachel's tiny arms. She gave her a wide grin before heading out the front door into the lightly falling snow.

It wasn't long before Rachel's phone was ringing. Quinn's nighttime routine was a lot shorter than her own, but she had learned how to rearrange her routine to allow her to talk to Quinn as she finished. She dashed to grab it off her bed where she had tossed it upon returning to her bedroom that night.

Quinn's muffled voice sounded in her ear; the blonde was obviously already curled up under her blankets, face half-buried in the pillows.

"Still not in bed are you, Berry?" she said playfully.

"A proper nighttime routine does not mean toss your dirty clothes on the floor, throw on some pajamas, brush your teeth and dive under the covers," said Rachel condescendingly. Quinn just laughed.

"Hey, I put my dirty clothes in the laundry basket!" she said in mock annoyance. Rachel huffed over the phone as she applied her moisturizer to her face. "My bed feels too big without you in it," she whined.

"Don't tell me you'd rather be squeezed onto Santana's couch again tonight!"

"If it means I get to have you in my arms, I'd gladly do it," replied Quinn quickly.

"You're such a sweet talker, Ms. Fabray."

"It's how us Fabrays skate through life and get everything we want," responded Quinn. Rachel could clearly picture the smirk on her girlfriend's face.

"Well I love all this extra room in my bed."

"One, that's totally a lie. Secondly, we need to go to sleep."

"You're a buzz kill. I thought that was my job in life."

"True. You are the girl that gives out drink tickets at a party so that everybody can have a safe, yet fun night."

"Very funny. If I were there, I would storm out right now. Normally I would make a point by hanging up on you, but I like your voice too much."

"Good night, Rachel."

"Night, Quinnie."

Quinn snuggled back into her bed, pulling one of her spare pillows into her arms. It was nice to have something to cuddle, but it wasn't Rachel's warm body. She let her thoughts drift to Beth. Rachel wanted to meet her, even though it meant having to deal with Shelby. She shouldn't be surprised. As self-centered as Rachel could be sometimes, she really was the most caring person that Quinn had ever met. They had been dating for four months, but Quinn knew that they were serious enough for Rachel to meet her daughter. Tomorrow she was going to call Shelby.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

Quinn woke up in a fantastic mood the next day. It was late morning and she figured Rachel would already be at Kurt's getting ready for their lunch date with Mercedes. She got herself together and bounded downstairs. Her mom had returned to work after the holidays and the house was peaceful, so she turned the radio up loudly and sang along with her mother's oldies station as she made herself some eggs.

After tossing her dirty dishes in the dishwasher, she sent Puck a text to tell him she was on her way before grabbing her guitar case from her room and heading out the door.

Puck's house wasn't far away and he responded just as she pulled up in front of his house. He opened the door in a pair of gym shorts and his chest bare.

"Sup, baby momma?" he said, standing back to let Quinn into the house.

"Put a damn shirt on, Puckerman, that trick doesn't work twice." Puck guffawed and picked up a wife beater from the couch and tossed it on.

"Evans said he'll be over in twenty. Beer?" Noah asked, pulling one from the fridge and extending it towards Quinn.

"Seriously, dude? It's hardly noon." She pushed his arm away and grabbed a bottle of water from the shelf of the fridge.

"It's bro day. You're an honorary bro because you date chicks. We drink beer and jam and play video games. Take it or leave it."

"I'll leave the beer and take the jamming and gaming."

"Atta girl, Fabray." He led the way into the basement that had been Quinn's room during her short stay in the Puckerman household. It had been converted into a small man cave; Puck's space away from his mom and sister.

He jumped onto the couch and grabbed the TV remote, flipping to Sports Center and popping the cap off of his beer before taking a big swig. Quinn pulled out her phone to text Rachel.

"Fuck no, baby momma. You are not gonna come over here just to sit and text your woman." The front door opened and they heard Sam's thunderous footsteps pound across the kitchen before he ran down the stairs, a beer in his right hand and his cell phone in his left. "Damn it, not you too, Evans. No texting your ball and chains during bro day."

Sam grinned at Quinn before tucking his phone in his pocket and flopping onto the old beanbag chair on the floor.

"Funny that we're having bro day with a girl that we both hooked up with," said Sam and leaned over to high five Puck.

"Funny that neither of you ever gave me a real orgasm, so maybe we should discuss your technique so you can actually please your girlfriends in the future," Quinn replied with no hesitation.

"Good to know that bitchy Quinn still lives in there somewhere. But seriously, how good is Berry in bed? I bet she's a freaking goddess. She didn't even let me get to second base but damn that girl knew how to use those singer lips." Quinn glared at Puck, who immediately shrank back into the couch like a scared little boy.

"I'm totally not going to give you explicit details about Berry in the sack, but since it's bro day I'll teach you how to actually rock a girl's world. And for the record, Puckerman, that does not mean tell her she's skinny and get her drunk." Sam chortled while Puck spluttered foolishly. "So here's what you need to do.."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"How are things going with Sam?" asked Rachel, sipping her water as they waited for their food.

"Amazing. He's like the most doting boyfriend and he's incredibly sweet. I just don't know if I'm ready to take it to the next level with him." Mercedes was playing with her straw, avoiding their eyes.

"Cedes, if you love him and he loves you as much as I know he does, then it'll be fine. You don't have to rush it if you're not ready." Rachel patted her friend's hand reassuringly while Kurt nodded in agreement.

"I just feel bad for how often I make him picture dead kittens and Coach Beiste. He's not pressuring me at all, but I know he's ready."

Their food arrived and conversation slowed as they began to eat.

"Just do it for the right reasons. Blaine and I talked about it a lot beforehand to make sure that we weren't just doing it for the experience or to get it over with. The first time is important, but the connection just grows over time."

"I miss these girl days," said Mercedes sincerely.

"I love Quinn and I love her friends, but this is insanely relaxing after all the hours I've been putting in with the Cheerio alumni." This put them all into giggles.

"I can't believe you're dating a Cheerio. Of everybody, I never thought that Rachel Berry would be dating a Cheerio," replied Kurt.

"I would tell you to be jealous, but I know that you'll just scrunch your nose up at the idea of dating a Cheerio," said Rachel.

"Honey, I think Quinn Fabray is the only girl that could make a gay guy straight." That set them off again in a fit of giggles.

Once the bill was settled, they headed back to Mercedes' house. The romcom played in the background and Rachel and Mercedes sat on the floor painting their toenails as they gossiped. It had been months since they had gotten together for a real girls' day and Rachel couldn't have been happier and more relaxed. Plus, Kurt and Mercedes kept her mind off of the trouble that her girlfriend was probably getting into with the boys.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Rach, it's already dinnertime," whined Quinn through the phone. "Sam wants to see Mercedes and I wanna see my sexy girlfriend. Oh, and Puck just wants to see boobs."

"Fine. Meet me at my house in half an hour. You are so lucky that you are incredibly irresistible."

"I love you, Rachel Berry."

Rachel hung up on her and Quinn smiled giddily at the boys.

"I get to see my sexy girl!" They high fived enthusiastically again. The day with the boys had been what Quinn needed. She loved Britt and Santana but the Unholy Trinity was a little tainted these days. Her friends were perfect together, but time alone with them usually ended up being an awkward third wheel to one of their extreme displays of public affection. The boys were simple. They liked booze and boobs and guitar. There was no drama or discussions about feelings. It was just about chilling and it was exactly what Quinn needed.

Quinn arrived at Rachel's house before the brunette did. Her dads weren't home from work, so Quinn sat in her car until she saw Rachel's car turn onto the street. She cut her engine and hopped out of her car and stood next to the driveway as Rachel pulled in and parked.

"You wasted no time getting here," said Rachel as she was immediately wrapped in a hug from the blonde.

"I told you that I wanted to see you," replied Quinn, taking Rachel's hand as they walked up to the front door. Rachel unlocked the door and they stumbled in, pulling off their heavy jackets and hanging them up. Quinn took off up the stairs and Rachel just shook her head at her, trudging along behind her.

Quinn was already sprawled across the queen-sized bed when Rachel turned into the bedroom. Her blonde hair was fanned out on the pillow and a goofy smile occupied perfect lips.

"What has you so giddy today?" asked Rachel as she flopped down on her stomach next to Quinn.

"I had a really good time with the guys. But Shelby also asked if I would watch Beth one day next week and Puck can't help because of work, so she said you could join me instead if you want."

Rachel's heart raced. Quinn was so excited about the prospect of Rachel spending time with her and Beth.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want. I told her I would talk to you before I agreed." Quinn brow was furrowed with worry that she had rushed Rachel into this.

"I'd love to meet Beth, baby," responded Rachel quietly. Quinn face immediately broke into a smile again. Without warning, she launched herself at Rachel.

Rachel's hips were pinned to the bed by Quinn's body and the blonde's hair tickled her face when Quinn leaned down to capture her lips. Quinn kissed her hard, immediately running her tongue along Rachel's lower lip, requesting entrance. Rachel felt Quinn's tongue glide against her own and moaned as it brushed along the roof of her mouth.

The door opened downstairs and Hiram shouted hello, having returned from work. Rachel pulled away from Quinn, who groaned at the loss of contact.

"C'mon we have to go say hello," said Rachel, trying to get Quinn to roll off of her.

"I think we have to stay here instead," she said huskily before diving in to kiss Rachel's exposed neck.

"Quinn, we are not staying up here to have sex and leaving my poor father to cook dinner by himself after a long day of work," Rachel said sternly, making Quinn groan as she finally pushed her off. Rachel scampered off the bed before Quinn regained her athleticism and the blonde at least had the decency to look mildly sheepish. Rachel couldn't help it, Quinn looked giddy and adorable.

"Let's go, you goof," she said, giving Quinn a stern look. Quinn rolled off of the edge of the bed, landing gracefully on her feet in true Cheerio fashion.

Hiram was chopping vegetables on the island in the kitchen, his tie and blazer discarded on a stool and the sleeves of his light blue oxford rolled up on his forearms. Rachel immediately picked up the clothing and left to put it away properly.

"Sometimes I wonder if she thinks we can't survive without her organization skills," joked Hiram as Quinn sat down at one of the stools.

"She rearranged my closet when she visited me at Yale. I couldn't find anything for a week afterwards." Hiram laughed, knowing that Quinn wasn't exaggerating. Both him and Leroy were mildly messy people, but Rachel was impeccably neat and perfectly organized.

Rachel returned to the kitchen and opened the pantry door to grab her apron off of its hook. Quinn giggled at the sight. Rachel was wearing a black apron that had a big gold star in the middle with her name written in script through the middle. The edges of the star were completely bedazzled with shiny gems. Rachel just stuck her tongue out before pulling a second apron from the pantry, this one dark blue and covered in cartoon cows. She held it out to Quinn who took it and tied it around herself. The Berrys led the dinner making process and she followed Rachel's strict instructions as they laughed and sang along with the radio. Quinn couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun cooking a meal.

"So what are you girls doing for your last week in Lima?" asked Hiram as he passed Quinn the bowl of salad.

Quinn looked up at Rachel, unsure if she should mention Shelby and Beth to Rachel's father. Rachel returned the glance with a warm smile.

"Quinn is taking me to meet Beth," she said simply. Hiram looked up from his plate with interest.

"And Shelby?" he asked cautiously.

"I will see her as well, yes. I know she's never going to be a mom to me, but I can be cordial since she's doing right by my girlfriend's daughter." Rachel's voice was businesslike and Quinn hated that Shelby had turned down the opportunity to be a mom to Rachel when she was sixteen.

"Well, be sure to take pictures. I'd love to see the little Quinn," Hiram said warmly.

The girls headed into the kitchen to clean up dinner, making Hiram retire to his chair in the living room to watch the evening news. Quinn stood at the sink, rinsing dishes before handing them to Rachel so she could put them into the dishwasher. It amazed her how even the most mundane tasks seemed fun when she did them with Rachel. She giggled at the brunette's intricate system for loading the dishes; Quinn had always just tossed them in, overfilled the detergent compartment, and hit start.

When the kitchen was returned to its spotless state, they headed back upstairs to Rachel's room. Quinn pulled Rachel onto the bed with her and snuggled up against the diva.

"What else do you want to do for our final week here?" she asked. Rachel was staring at the ceiling in contemplation.

"Brittany and I were talking about having a karaoke night with the glee kids and Mr. Schuster wanted to know if a group of us would be willing to run a workshop for New Directions," said Rachel. "Other than that, I want to be right here with you."

Quinn pulled her closer so Rachel was half lying on her.

"As long as the workshop is better than Blaine's brother's was last year," replied Quinn with a giggle.

"Do you mean to tell me that you don't think pointing is the key to an emotional scene?" Rachel asked, trying to keep her face serious.

"What Rachel Berry magic do you plan on teaching them?"

"It's a group activity, Quinn; it's not just about me," said Rachel immediately.

"And you're our captain and undeniably the most talented and successful of us," Quinn replied.

"Does that make you my first mate?" A smile cracked onto Rachel's face.

"I better be your only mate," growled Quinn. Rachel giggled and rolled on top of Quinn, brushing her lips along Quinn's jaw.

The doorbell rang, but the brunette didn't pull away. Her hands found a sliver of bare stomach and she let her fingertips dance around the warm skin. She only pulled back when there was a light knock at her bedroom door.

Rachel fell back onto the bed next to Quinn before calling to the person to enter. The door creaked open and Brittany stood there, fresh tear tracks staining her face.

"What's wrong, B?" asked Quinn with genuine concern, sitting up at the sight of her friend.

"I got a phone call. My company is going to be filming a music video with Ke$ha and I got offered to be her main backup dancer."

"Britt, that's fantastic news! Why are you so upset?" Rachel asked, jumping to her feet and leading the tall blonde to the bed to sit.

"They need me back in L.A. the day after tomorrow to start rehearsals. Plus there's talk about her needing dancers for her upcoming tour. Santana is mad at me." Fresh tears made their way down her cheeks and Rachel brushed them away tenderly.

"B, you know that Santana is proud of you. She's just sad because she thought you were going to have two more weeks off to spend together before her semester started and you went back to work. The tour is a fantastic opportunity, but you know San lashes out when she's sad. She doesn't want you away on tour because that means you're not home with her." Brittany was sobbing now and Quinn moved closer to wrap her arms around the other blonde.

"I just love her so much, but I love dancing."

"She'll come around, B. I'll talk to her."

"Thanks, Q," said Britt, trying to smile at her friend.

"Britt, how about you and I go visit Mercedes and plan a girls' night and we let Quinn go talk to Santana?" suggested Rachel, looking at Quinn to make sure this was okay. Quinn nodded softly.

"Okay," murmured Brittany. Rachel leaned over and kissed Quinn softly before the smaller blonde got up to leave.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn didn't bother to knock as usual when she entered the Lopez residence. She could hear the television from the family room, but she didn't stop to say hello. Instead she made a beeline for Santana's room.

Santana was lying in a ball on the bed, her headphones in her ears and the music was turned loud enough that Quinn could make out the beat of the song from across the room. She walked over and pulled one of the buds out of the Latina's ear.

"What the fuck, Q," growled Santana, reaching to put it back in, but Quinn's hand blocked her.

"We're going to talk about feelings, whether or not you like it, S." Quinn knew Santana better than anybody else besides Britt. "Britt appeared at Rachel's house all upset when she should be celebrating."

"I fucked it up like always," murmured Santana, pulling the other bud out of her ear and tossing her iPod on the nightstand beside her bed.

"Why are you pushing her away, San?" Quinn asked, her voice softening a bit.

"What if she likes touring more than she likes being with me? What if she meets someone better than me while she's dancing across the entire country? We know that high school relationships hardly work out after graduation and we're already growing apart."

"Santana Lopez, you are insane if you think that you and Britt can't make it through anything. If you said the words, she would refuse to go on tour because you're her number one. You always have been."

"I can't ask her to do that, Q." The tears were starting to fall.

"Of course you can't! She has this incredible opportunity and all she cares about is how you feel about it! I know Britt and I know she'll do everything she can to see you as much as she can. The distance and travel will suck, but you'll make it."

"You're putting a lot of faith in me, Fabray."

"I know you're an idiot and you push away the things that make you happy, but I also know that you and Britt will always find a way," Quinn replied. "Now stop this pouting crap. Rachel took Britt to Mercedes for a girls' night, so we can either call and join them or we can go ignore emotional situations and drink with the boys."

"Can we just stop and see Britts and then go drink with the boys? I do not have the patience for movie musicals and makeovers tonight." Quinn laughed and agreed.

After a quick stop at the Joneses' house so Britt and San could make up (rather, make out) and a short lecture from Rachel about drinking and driving, Quinn and Santana were sitting in Sam's living room with the guys. Mike and Artie were playing on his Xbox and Puck, Sam and Blaine convinced the girls to join their card game.

"Why are you two not with the girls?" asked Blaine, dealing out the next hand.

"Girls like to talk about feelings and we just wanted to drink and not have to discuss our emotions," said Santana before tipping a shot of vodka down her throat with a small wince.

"Well, the butchy lesbians can be honorary bros I guess," said Puck with a shrug. Santana rewarded him with a swift punch to his groin and he moaned out in pain. "Dude! You two can't deny that you are the male figures in your relationships. Britt and Berry have you so whipped!" Santana didn't hesitate before dropping another shot to his groin.

"Let's just play," said Sam, diverting Santana from her anger by passing her a beer and another shot. She took them happily, pounding the shot before twisting the cap off and chasing it with her beer.

By 2 a.m. Quinn was passed out on Sam's couch. Santana's head was hanging off of the other end and her feet were tangled up with Quinn's in the middle of the couch. Quinn had sent Rachel a quick text before falling asleep to let her know that she was staying there.

At 8, her ringtone went off shrilly and Quinn flung her hand off of the couch, blindly searching for the phone. Finally her fingers found the device and she pulled it to her ear.

"Hello?" she mumbled, her face still half buried in the couch.

"Good morning, girlfriend!" chirped Rachel happily.

"Rach, it's the crack of dawn and my head is exploding," grumbled Quinn, wincing from the voice coming through the phone.

"Sorry, I just missed you. Call me later?" asked Rachel.

"Okay, fine."

Quinn ended the call and tried to get comfortable again on the couch. Santana seemed to have stretched out.

"Seriously, San?" groaned Quinn, trying to shove Santana back onto her end.

"Just fucking snuggle with me instead of playing footsie, Q," mumbled Santana. Santana slid back to make room for Quinn to lie next to her. "Just come here and stop being a pussy." Quinn flushed, but moved herself up and let Santana spoon her.

"Is it bad that I find this extremely hot?" Puckerman had wandered into the room and snapped a picture with his phone.

Quinn stirred in Santana's arms. The Latina seemed to growl as she pulled away, which just made Puck laugh. Quinn rolled off the couch and ran her fingers through her messy hair.

"San, get up. B has sent you like fifteen messages and Rachel already called this morning." Santana just groaned and rolled over. Quinn sighed before getting up to locate her jacket and shoes before physically forcing her best friend off of the couch. "Lopez, it's your last day with Britt before she goes back to L.A." That got Santana moving.

After dropping Santana off at the Pierces', Quinn went straight to Rachel's. She was still wearing her clothes from yesterday and she desperately needed to shower off the stench of stale alcohol, but it didn't seem to matter compared to seeing her girlfriend.

Rachel didn't answer the door, so Quinn reached under the mat and retrieved the spare key, letting herself in before returning it to its hiding place.

As soon as she shut the front door, she could hear Rachel singing at the top of her lungs in her bedroom. Quinn headed up the stairs and paused at her open bedroom door. Rachel was wearing just a towel and holding her hairbrush up like a microphone as she belted a show tune. Quinn had to resist the urge to record her on her phone. She wandered into the room and sat down onto the bed and Rachel continued to be in her own world.

It took ten minutes for Rachel to end her continuous Broadway tune solo. She squeaked in surprise when she turned towards her closet and saw the blonde sitting there. Rachel grabbed her chest dramatically and Quinn giggled at the sight.

"When did you get here?" she asked, walking towards Quinn.

"About three songs ago I suppose," said Quinn with an impish grin. Rachel looked shocked that she had been oblivious to Quinn's presence for so long. She was now standing directly in front of the blonde, her short towel giving a great view of never-ending legs. Quinn's eyes were glued to the body she had just watched dance around the room with no inhibitions. Rachel had her shy smile on as she watched Quinn's eyes rake her body.

"Would you just like me to take the towel off so you don't have to try to stare through it?" asked Rachel, causing Quinn to blush and look up to meet her girlfriend's eyes.

"I..uh.."

Rachel stepped back and pulled her towel loose, letting it fall to the floor right in front of Quinn. The blonde just stood with her mouth slightly open.

"Rachel?" called a voice from downstairs. Quinn collapsed back onto her back with a loud sigh.

"Be right down, Daddy!" chirped Rachel and she skipped away to her dresser and pulled on clothes before heading downstairs to meet her dad.

"Seriously?" Quinn asked to the empty room. Everybody seemed to be getting in her way of alone time with Rachel this week. She dragged herself off of the bed to go meet Rachel and Leroy.

"Daddy came home to have lunch with me since he's been working so much lately!" said Rachel happily, perched on her stool at the counter while Leroy put together lunch. Quinn gave her a small smile and got herself a glass of water before settling on her own stool.

She sat through lunch, her eyes glazed over. Rachel kept nudging her to join the conversation but Quinn was realizing how much she wanted to shower and take a nap after the night she had. Finally Leroy had to go back to work and as soon as the front door closed, Rachel walked over and straddled Quinn's lap.

"Rach.." murmured Quinn as the brunette's lips found her neck.

"Finally alone again," said Rachel moving her mouth up Quinn's neck and left open mouth kisses across her jaw.

"Babe, I'm exhausted and gross and no offense, but your dad killed the mood." Rachel pulled back with a full pout, her arms linking around Quinn's neck.

"Does that mean no cuddling while you sleep?" asked Rachel. Quinn knew there was no denying that pout. She nodded softly and Rachel broke into her Broadway smile before leading her back upstairs.

After a quick shower, Quinn threw on some sweats she had gotten in the habit of leaving there since Rachel's clothes were all two sizes too small on her. Rachel was already in the bed reading a book. Quinn ran the brush through her hair quickly before climbing in bed beside her. Rachel put down her book and pulled Quinn into her, stroking the wet blonde hair on the pillow beside her. Within minutes, Quinn was fast asleep.

"Quinn, sweetie," said Rachel softly, running her fingertips along the blonde's cheek. She rolled over, away from Rachel with a little groan. "Baby, our friends are going to be here in like two hours."

"Huh?" grumbled Quinn.

"Brittany has to go back to L.A. tomorrow, so we're having karaoke night here tonight. My dads are going out," replied Rachel, laying a soft kiss to Quinn's cheek before climbing off of the bed.

Quinn opened her eyes and stretched her limbs. Apparently plans had been made while she was sleeping and there was no way she'd be able to get out of this one.

"You have some clothes here, but I wanted to make sure you had time to go home first if you wanted."

"And leave my beautiful girlfriend?" replied Quinn, causing Rachel to flash her the smile that was always saved just for sweet Quinn.

The blonde yanked herself out of the bed and opened Rachel's closet, locating one of her own dresses and a cardigan. She got dressed and turned her attention back to Rachel.

The brunette was busy making a playlist for karaoke night on her laptop. Quinn sauntered over and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, loving the warmth of the small body against her chest. Rachel hummed softly with the music and Quinn could feel the vibrations against her lips as she swooped to kiss Rachel's exposed neck.

"Babe, we've got to prepare for guests," Rachel said sternly, turning in her chair to look at Quinn. "And you probably want to do something with your bed head," she added with a giggle. Quinn reached up and ran a lazy hand through her choppy locks.

Rachel stood up to peruse her closet to find an outfit for the evening. Quinn sat down to do her hair and makeup, but most of her attention ended up focused on the girl standing in just her bra and panties, contemplating the selections laid out on the bed.

"Need some help?" asked Quinn, loving the sight of Rachel with her furrowed brow. Rachel nodded with her bottom lip trapped between her teeth.

Quinn walked over to see what Rachel had picked out. There were three outfits. One seemed to be from her Britney Spears phase and considering Noah Puckerman would be there, it was completely not an option. The middle one was on the verge of high school Rachel's wardrobe and Quinn found it oddly endearing. Plus it had the advantage of a very short hemline on the skirt. The third was part of Rachel's college wardrobe collection that Quinn and Santana had worked hard to build over the summer.

Instead of sticking to one outfit, she grabbing the short skirt from the middle outfit before stalking to Rachel's closet, raking through the hangers until she found the tight black sweater. It was one of the first articles she had convinced Rachel to buy when they had become friends during senior. It covered her up plenty to keep Quinn from having to kill Puck, but hugged Rachel in all the right places.

"Here you go. Throw on your knee-high black boots and you're set." Rachel took the clothes from her and began getting dressed.

She rifled through her closet to find the boots Quinn had chosen. Once she had pulled on the boots, she walked over to see the effect in her full-length mirror.

"You have a gift, Fabray," she said, smiling at her reflection. The outfit was a flawless choice.

"I just know your body well," said Quinn, turning to see her own handiwork.

"We need to set up. I haven't even started on the refreshments yet," said Rachel, walking over and kissing Quinn's cheek. "Meet me downstairs when you're ready." She kissed Quinn and left the room.

An hour later, Quinn found herself setting up the stage in Rachel's basement for karaoke. Rachel was laying out trays of snacks that were perfectly arranged and that would be destroyed as soon as the boys showed up. The view of the expanse of thigh exposed as Rachel bent down distracted Quinn.

"Pick your jaw up off of the floor, Fabray," said Rachel with a smirk as she glanced over her shoulder. Quinn forced her mouth closed and abandoned the wires of the karaoke machine to walk over to Rachel. She wrapped her arms around the small brunette's waist and pulled her close.

"You look so beautiful, Rach," Quinn whispered into her ear, making Rachel shudder slightly.

"I'll never get tired of hearing you say that," responded Rachel with a smile. "But our guests will be here any minute and you still don't have the stage prepared." Quinn rolled her eyes and gave her a chaste kiss before returning to her work.

Almost as soon as Quinn finished setting up, the doorbell rang upstairs. Rachel took off to answer the door and Quinn sat down on the edge of the stage, running her fingers through her short hair attempting to tame it again.

A minute later, Brittany and Santana emerged, the blonde with a huge smile pasted on her face.

"Q!" she shrieked and bounded over to give Quinn a rib-cracking hug. Quinn put her arms around her blonde friend and she saw Santana give a little smile over Brittany's shoulder.

Finally, Brittany released her and turned back to Santana, throwing her arms around the Latina's neck and dropping a wet kiss on her cheek. Santana looked happy and pulled Britt into her.

Rachel came back downstairs, followed by Puck and Sam, who were each wearing a backpack that Quinn suspected contained the alcohol for tonight. Mercedes appeared right after them, carrying a tray that Quinn guessed contained tater tots.

Slowly, the rest of their friends started to show up and within half an hour the beverages were broken out and they were all drinking and having a good time.

"Who wants to be my first duet partner?" asked Rachel, projecting into her pink bedazzled microphone as she stood on the stage with a wine cooler in her hand.

Quinn was not ready by any means and she avoided Rachel's gaze, hoping she could be spared until later. Thankfully, Mercedes sauntered to the stage and she and Rachel began whispering back and forth to choose a song, occasionally flipping through Rachel's laptop.

A few minutes later, Mercedes walked over to the other microphone stand and pulled the microphone from it and switched it on. Rachel started the music and they were moving their hips in rhythm with the opening bars. They started singing and danced around one another in improvised choreography. Quinn's eyes were stuck on Rachel, her hips swinging, causing her skirt to sway deliciously. She was completely in her element.

Puck sauntered up next to Quinn and handed her another beer. She took it and twisted off the cap, her eyes never leaving Rachel on the stage.

"Three years ago we were in this basement wondering why we were at a Rachel Berry party. Things sure have changed," he said quietly, his eyes glancing around the room.

Quinn had worked hard for most of high school to stay on top as the most popular girl, the best cheerleader, and the most desired girlfriend to the hottest guy. But somewhere along the line, priorities changed. In her heart, she knew that the change had come when she had finally let Rachel Berry into her life. Suddenly, being the most popular didn't seem as important because she was actually happy for once. She had a friend that wasn't using her to increase their own status and wasn't going to tear her down to take her position as head Cheerio. She watched the brunette as she twirled around Mercedes, belting out the lyrics to the song. She wasn't the same girl that she had been at that tenth grade party and Quinn hoped she was a factor in that change as much as Rachel had been in hers.

They all whooped loudly when the girls finished the song and they took deep bows before replacing the microphones and hopping down off of the stage. She headed right for Quinn and Puck slipped away to give them some time to themselves.

"That was awesome, babe," cooed Quinn as she brushed her lips over Rachel's earlobe.

"The song or my legs?" asked Rachel innocently, making Quinn laugh.

"Definitely both," replied Quinn, planting a kiss on Rachel's full lips.

After that, the stage was constantly filled, all of them taking turns singing.

As the night wore on, the more ridiculous the song choices were and the spectators got rowdier. Finally, Rachel insisted that they sing "Don't Stop Believin'" for old time's sake and they lined up, the choreography still burned into their brains. Sam filled in on the lead male vocals since Finn wasn't there and they performed for the empty room, collapsing in giggles when the song faded out.

Puck passed out little plastic cups to everybody before raising his own.

"To the friends I'll have forever," he said, before clinking his glass against Kurt's. They all lifted their own glasses before knocking back the shot and settling down on the carpet.

They sat and talked into the late hours of the night. Finally the yawning took over and their friends began to leave. The last ones standing there were Santana and Brittany.

"I'll see you guys before I leave tomorrow right?" asked Brittany, her arms around Rachel and Quinn's waists.

"Of course, B. Just call me and we'll meet up." The tall blonde smiled affectionately at them before hugging them each individually.

"B, why don't you go warm up the car and I'll be there in a minute?" said Santana, handing Brittany her car keys. Brittany hugged them each again before taking the keys and heading upstairs.

"Thanks for this, Berry. She was so excited to see everybody before she leaves."

"It's what friends do, Santana," Rachel said warmly, moving towards the Latina. "I'm going to hug you now," she said, opening her arms and embracing Santana. Santana patted her awkwardly on the back before Rachel pulled away.

"See you tomorrow," said Santana before following Brittany upstairs and disappearing.

"I finally get you to myself," Quinn said, pulling Rachel into her arms. Rachel sighed softly at Quinn's warm breath on her neck.

"Take me upstairs?" she asked and Quinn responded quickly, taking her hand and leading her up the two flights of stairs and into Rachel's dark bedroom. Not bothering to turn on the light, she guided them to the familiar bed and gently pushed Rachel back onto it before climbing on top of her.

Their lips crashed together in a fit of passion. Quinn's hand reached down and she ran her fingertips along the thigh she had been staring at all night long.

"You kill me in these short skirts, Berry," she said huskily, her hand moving upwards under the fabric. Rachel let out a soft moan and kissed Quinn harder. "I just wanted to bend you over on that stage."

Rachel groaned loudly as Quinn's hand made contact with her panty clad mound. Quinn rubbed the brunette through the material, her tongue massaging Rachel's.

"Please, Quinn," moaned Rachel into Quinn's mouth, Quinn pushed the material to the side and slid two fingers through the wet folds. Rachel shuddered at the sensation and pushed her hips into Quinn, desperate for more friction. Quinn circled around the sensitive bud before moving lower and pushing her fingers inside.

Quinn slid her fingers in and out, getting in a rhythm that Rachel's hips continued to match. She was panting against Rachel's neck, periodically kissing it as the brunette writhed underneath her. Her palm was hitting Rachel's clit with every inward stroke and she could feel Rachel's inner walls clenching around her fingers.

"So…close…" mumbled Rachel, her hips bucking wildly against Quinn's hand. Quinn sped up her movements, curling into Rachel's g-spot. The brunette moaned as her orgasm took over and Quinn kept her hand moving, slowing down as Rachel came down. As it subsided, she slid her fingers out and brought them up to her own mouth, tasting Rachel's juices on them. Rachel moaned again, watching her intently. She tugged at Quinn's dress, pulling her down into a languid kiss, her body exhausted from her orgasm. She could taste herself on Quinn's tongue as she ran her own against it and she moaned softly.

"Let's get you in something more comfortable," said Quinn, kissing her lightly before pulling herself off of Rachel's petite frame.

She walked to the dresser and pulled out a pair of flannel pajamas that were covered in stars and crescent moons and tossed them on the bed next to Rachel. Rachel pulled herself into a sitting position, unzipping her knee-length boots and tugging them off her feet.

Quinn returned next to her, holding her own pajama pants and a t-shirt. She brought her hands to the edge of Rachel's sweater and pulled it carefully over her head. Rachel unsnapped her own bra and let it fall off of her shoulders. Quinn licked her lips at the sight, but refrained from attacking Rachel again and instead handed Rachel her top. Rachel leaned back so that she could lift her butt off of the bed to slide the skirt down her legs. She picked up her pajama bottoms and pulled them on, smiling at Quinn, who was now biting her lower lip and staring at her legs. Quinn shrugged out of her dress and bra and pulled on her own pajamas before hopping onto the bed and getting under the down comforter. Rachel followed suit and cuddled up against the warm blonde.

"I could do this forever," murmured Quinn, her fingers stroking the silky brown locks.

"Me too, baby, me too," whispered Rachel, the corners of her lips turning upwards in a smile as sleep took over.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: I started writing this before most of season 3 had aired, so I'm pretty much going AU from the end of Season 2. Quinn wasn't in the car accident, Finn/Rachel weren't engaged, etc.**

**Chapter 42**

"Quinn, can you please pay attention?" Rachel was standing with her hands on her hips, looking pointedly at the blonde.

"Sorry," said Quinn with a sheepish grin. She had been daydreaming again while Rachel was making everybody practice the choreography for the song that they were going to perform as part of their workshop for the New Directions tomorrow.

"Break time!" said Santana, walking over and sitting down on the couch. She pulled out her phone and began texting. Kurt giggled and joined her much to the chagrin of Rachel.

"We only have a couple of hours to practice! We can't go in there tomorrow looking unprofessional!" Rachel was pacing in front of them, but they were both looking down at their phones. She turned to Quinn, who just shrugged her shoulders. With that, Rachel turned on her heel and marched out of her living room.

Santana burst into a fit of giggles. It had been a long time since any of them had seen a true Rachel Berry diva fit. Quinn shoved her lightly, but couldn't help but smile too. She gave Rachel a few minutes before following her. The brunette was pacing the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand, mumbling under her breath.

"Babe?" Quinn said tentatively, preparing herself for the wrath of Rachel's diva side.

"They look up to us. I don't want to go in there unprepared and make a fool out of myself. It might be a joke to the rest of you because performing is just a hobby, but this is my life." Rachel was still pacing and Quinn was getting dizzy from watching her.

"Rach, I'm sorry. I know that this means a lot to you and I should have been taking it more seriously." She walked towards Rachel and blocked her path to force her to stop pacing. "Come back and teach us the dance. The faster we get through, the less cranky Santana will be."

She coaxed Rachel back into the living room and gave Santana her icy HBIC glare over Rachel's shoulder, warning the Latina that she better comply with Rachel or there would be hell to pay later. Santana smirked at first, knowing that the ex-head Cheerio had nothing to hold over her anymore, but succumbed anyway. Quinn was resourceful and would find a way to get back at her if she didn't. Kurt sighed, but followed as well and soon the four of them were back to running through the choreography.

Two hours later, Rachel seemed satisfied.

"Okay, so we have our routine for tomorrow. Puck and Sam should be ready with theirs as well and then we will have some time to talk to them about our experiences." Kurt said his goodbyes and left quickly, but Santana hung back.

"What's up, S?" asked Quinn, eying up her best friend.

"I miss Britts," said Santana miserably. "I'm so fucking bored."

"It's only been two days since she left and you'll see her in just over a week," replied Quinn, settling down onto the couch next to Rachel.

"I know that, but I don't know the last time we spent this much time apart. They have her so busy on set that she's working like 15 hour days so I hardly even get to talk to her between that and the time zone difference." Quinn glanced at Rachel, who took the cue and left for the kitchen.

"How does a movie and vegan junk food sound?" asked Quinn.

"Terrible, but I'll take it."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

The band started playing and Quinn counted off the beats in her head, waiting for the cue. She had done this hundreds of times before during her three years at McKinley. Rachel was at the center, just where she had always belonged. Quinn had never really minded being a background singer. She hadn't felt the need to fight for solos against Rachel like Kurt, Mercedes, or Santana had. Glee was a relief from the constant competition that surrounded her with Cheerios. It was about being somewhere that she could be herself, where she could belong. Being back in this room, harmonizing in the background with Santana as Kurt and Rachel belted out the melody, made her feel at home.

The New Directions clapped loudly when they finished their performance and sat down on stools next to Puck. Sam had rejoined the younger members on the risers. Rachel began the discussion, offering her insights of performing and pursuing her dreams. Kurt followed her, talking about switching out of performing arts to pursue a different dream. Santana talked more about Britt's recent successes than her own life, which Quinn found rather endearing. Then attention turned over to Quinn.

"Well, I don't know if you younger ones know this, but I graduated valedictorian last year. Academics and the Cheerios were usually my top priority, but Glee was home. Glee is where I found the courage to go after what I wanted in life. So now I'm at Yale majoring in English. But I've been lucky enough to have found people that believe in me beyond my perfect grades. I've taken up art and photography as a minor and I'm working this semester to build a portfolio to intern in New York City as a photojournalist for the summer. I've always known I had the brains to go to a good college and get the degree my parents always expected of me, but the friends I made in this room made me realize that there is still room to pursue the things I'm passionate about while remaining sensible about my future."

Mr. Schuster looked like a proud father as she finished her little speech. She had evolved from the icy cheerleader to someone that even she could be proud of. Sam smiled affectionately at her and she let Puck start talking.

When the bell rang, they said their goodbyes and headed back out of McKinley. Puck and Santana left together since they were all taking turns amusing her in Brittany's absence. Rachel and Quinn walked hand in hand back to Rachel's car, both in good moods.

Once they were in the car and Rachel was pulling out of the parking lot, Quinn turned to her.

"You were great today, Rach. Did you have fun?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah I did. I'm just not sure that these kids have a realistic of how hard it is to make it in entertainment. I know that I say that Broadway is my only option, but I put all of my efforts into getting into the best possible performing arts school so that I would have a leg up as I tried to make it. My chances are still slim, even with NYADA on my resume. But they think that just by winning a National title, they'll be able to break into the industry and I just don't want to see everybody be let down when they can't achieve their lofty dreams."

"Rach, if anybody is going to make it on Broadway, it will be you. And you will. I've never doubted for one second that you'll be up on that stage, starring in a show, while the rest of us sit in the front row, watching your dreams come true."

Rachel smiled appreciatively at Quinn as she pulled in the Fabray's driveway. Judy would be at work for a few more hours, so they had the place to themselves. They had a lazy day of lying on the couch curled up with one another, watching trashy reality television.

"Rach, can I ask you something and you promise to answer honestly?" Quinn asked timidly.

"Of course, baby," said Rachel, her brow furrowed in concern.

"Kurt mentioned that only half of your NYADA class will make it through the first year. Am I distracting you with our weekend trips during the semester? I don't want you to lose your spot at NYADA because of me."

Rachel could see the real worry etched on that beautiful blonde face.

"You're not in the way of my dreams if that's what you're hinting at, Quinnie. Kurt is exaggerating a bit, but either way, last I checked I was ranked second in my class, so you don't really need to worry about me getting dropped from the program."

"Second?" Quinn said in disbelief. "How come you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want to brag, especially with Kurt dropping out of the program," Rachel responded shyly. Quinn smiled at the brunette. She had grown up so much in the past six months. Old Rachel would have made sure that everybody in Lima knew how well she was doing. It was common knowledge that the top graduates at NYADA were practically shoo-ins for big Broadway productions before they were 25.

Judy walked in the front door, home from work, and called a hello to the girls before heading upstairs to change. She emerged ten minutes later and popped her head into the living room to check up on them before moving into the kitchen to make dinner.

They found themselves sitting at the extra long dining room table, digging in at their stir-fry. Quinn looked at her mom carefully as the older Fabray chatted animatedly with Rachel. She looked so relaxed and at ease, which was something Quinn couldn't remember seeing on her throughout her childhood. Here she was, learning to make vegan dishes so that Quinn's lesbian partner could join them for dinner. It was more than she had ever let herself hope for.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Come in," said Shelby when she pulled open the front to revel Quinn standing on the front steps, one hand clasped tightly with Rachel's. Shelby tried hard to not stare at her grown up daughter as she took their coats and hung them up in the hall closet. "How are you?" It was a general question directed at both girls, but her eyes fell on the short brunette who looked nervous, her knuckles white from her tight grasp on Quinn.

"We're fine, thank you. Where's Beth?" Quinn replied quickly. The little girl would be an excellent distraction right now. She could feel how tense Rachel felt against her from being in the presence of her biological mother again.

"She is still napping. She should be waking up in half an hour or so. Can I get you girls something to drink?" she said politely in response. She was in no rush to leave even though she had asked them to babysit. The time was better spent trying to rebuild her relationship with the brunette.

The girls sat down at the table as Shelby pulled three glasses out of a cabinet before moving to the refrigerator and retrieving the pitcher of iced tea she had made earlier. Settling down at the table with them, Shelby fixed her gaze on the condensation forming on her own glass to avoid staring at her daughter.

"So how do you like NYADA thus far, Rachel?" she asked softly. Quinn's hand moved to rest softly on Rachel's thigh, her eyes fixed on Shelby.

"It is challenging and exciting, though I expected it to be. NYADA is definitely the perfect choice for me." Usually Rachel would gush about school and New York to anybody that seemed remotely interested. Quinn stroked her thigh gently in reassurance, causing her tense shoulders to relax slightly. Being around Shelby again was difficult and she was overcome with the desire to both run away and run into her arms.

"Rachel is being modest," Quinn piped up. "She's ranked second in her class right now." There was no doubt of the pride painted on Shelby's face as she finally let herself look at Rachel. Shelby composed herself before responding, determined to not upset Rachel.

"I expected nothing less. You are one of the most talented young performers I've ever had the pleasure of watching and that speaks nothing of your dedication that I'm sure you have instilled into your studies." It was formal, but dripped with undeniable motherly pride. Shelby forced her Broadway smile onto her face and Quinn couldn't help but be reminded of Rachel's own show smile that she had seen a thousand times before, even after the icy chill of a slushie hit the brunette's face. It was large and bright, but it also masked the pain.

"I'm trying to get a gig in New York for the summer. Obviously I'd love it to be a performance job, but I'm going to apply for internships in the business as well to at least make some contacts." Rachel was trying to not be so stiff and it wasn't her nature to give one-sentence answers. Quinn squeezed her thigh affectionately as she spoke, reminding her that it was all okay.

"That's great, Rachel. I know that you can most definitely achieve anything you want on your own merit, but if you do ever want any help or are just looking for extra experience or anything, I still have some contacts in New York." Shelby prayed that it didn't sound like she was trying to flaunt her connection to the Broadway world and use it to get Rachel a coveted spot in a production. Rachel had been incredibly bitter about her even offering to help with her NYADA application.

"Thanks, Shelby," said Rachel cordially, staying as neutral as possible.

"Mama!" called a voice from out of the room. Quinn smiled widely at the sound of Beth's voice.

"Do you mind if I get her?" asked Quinn, looking hopefully at Shelby.

"No, of course not," Shelby said warmly and Quinn skipped away down the hall to get the little blonde. "I should probably head out to get my errands done. I'm really glad that you came with Quinn, Rachel."

"Thanks for giving me the chance to make Quinn happy by getting to meet Beth," was all Rachel supplied in return.

"You're always welcome here," Shelby said quietly, her eyes avoiding the younger brunette's.

"Please, don't. I'm just handling being civil right now because this means so much to Quinn, but I can't handle more than that right now. Maybe if we keep working at it, we might be able to build a relationship in the future. But me being here right now is for Quinn, not for you." Shelby nodded her understanding and got up to leave.

Quinn reappeared in the doorway to the kitchen with a tiny blonde angel in her arms who was rubbing her eye with a little balled fist.

"Oh…" breathed Rachel. She had never seen such a beautiful sight. Beth was the spitting image of Quinn with her blonde hair and porcelain skin. Her eyes were darker than Quinn's, but still had a greenish ring around the outside of her iris. Quinn was radiating a glow, her smile wide and genuine as she watched Rachel look at Beth for the first time.

"Rachel, this is Beth," she said softly, moving towards the diva. She stopped when she was standing within arm's reach.

"Hi, Beth," said Rachel quietly, her gaze fixed with Beth's.

"Can you say hi to Rachel, Beth?" Quinn said to the little girl, bouncing a tiny foot in her palm. Beth snuggled into Quinn and continued to stare at Rachel. Rachel gave a little chuckle at how adorable it was.

Quinn nodded towards the den and Rachel followed her. They settled on the floor and Beth immediately scrambled over to her toy box and pulled out her favorite princess tiara and carried it over to Quinn to have it fixed onto her head properly. It sat on top of the loose curls of her soft hair and she grinned at Rachel, pointing up at it.

"That's a lovely crown, Beth," Rachel said, smiling at Quinn's mini-me.

Beth went scurrying back to her toy box and pulled out another tiara, this one purple with plastic heart-shaped gems on it. She walked over to Rachel and held it out to her.

"Why, thank you!" Rachel said enthusiastically, accepting it from Beth and balancing it on her head. Quinn giggled and reached for her camera, determined to get a picture of Rachel playing dress-up with her daughter.

By the time Shelby returned, the three girls were all wearing various princess jewels and boas and were having a tea party with some of Beth's stuffed animals. Quinn blushed when she saw Shelby watching them from the doorway, knowing she must look like a ridiculous child rather than a responsible, mature young adult. On the contrary, Shelby smiled warmly at her before walking further into the room.

"Mama!" said Beth excitedly and ran to hug Shelby. "We have party!" she said, gesturing back to Rachel and plastic teacups set out in a circle on the floor.

"I see that! Did you have fun with Quinn and Rachel?" she asked, snuggling the little blonde.

"Yeah! Fun Qin and Rakel!" exclaimed Beth, running back to her teacup and giggling when Rachel pretending to drink all of hers.

The teenaged girls returned their princess outfits to the toy box and gathered their belongings. Shelby walked them to the front door.

"I'll see you for dinner on Sunday with Noah before you leave to go back?" Shelby asked Quinn. Quinn nodded in agreement. "You're welcome to join us as well if you would like, Rachel." Rachel glanced at Quinn before turning to Shelby.

"We'll see," was all that Rachel offered for the time being. "Thanks for letting us see her today and it was nice to see you as well."

"Thanks for taking care of her. It's amazing how much more I can get done at the stores when I'm not chasing after her," replied Shelby, trying to remain upbeat despite Rachel basically shooting down her dinner invitation.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Thanks for today, Rachel," said Quinn quietly as they laid entangled in one another on Quinn's bed later that evening. "I know how hard it is for you to have to deal with Shelby and I appreciate you doing it for me."

"It's all worth it to see you with that little girl," said Rachel genuinely, dropping a kiss onto Quinn's hair.

"I can't believe we are going back in three days," said Quinn, pushing herself even closer to Rachel and letting her left leg flop over Rachel's thighs, half-straddling her. "I love Yale so much, but leaving Beth is going to be even harder this time."

Rachel kissed Quinn's head again and wrapped her arms tighter around the blonde.

"You have a week for spring break in March to come visit her at least. Apparently NYADA thinks that one long weekend for Easter is enough of a break for the semester," Rachel said, her tone unhappy at NYADA's schedule.

"Yeah, I guess. And Shelby told me that we can try to video chat once in a while or something."

"Are you excited to see your friends again?" asked Rachel.

"I talked to Hayley last night and apparently her and Jess are back on the rocks, but other than that I really am."

"They are pretty dramatic, aren't they?" said Rachel with a giggle. "And people always thought that you and I were dramatic over relationships."

"Rach, we were dramatic when it came to boys. Apparently our drama cancels out when we're not fighting one another for something." Rachel giggled again at the memories of their ridiculous fighting over Finn.

Rachel sat up and pulled Quinn with her, despite the blonde's grunts of disapproval.

"Will you play something on the guitar for me?" she asked out of the blue.

"Rach…" Quinn whined, wanting to lie back down and cuddle.

"Please, Quinn? I went to see my birth mother today for you," pleaded Rachel.

"That was a dirty move, Berry," Quinn said before dragging herself off of the bed to pick up the guitar that was sitting on a stand in the corner of her bedroom. She turned her desk chair around and sat with the instrument balanced on her knee, the strap hung loosely over her left shoulder. After plucking the strings for a few minutes and adjusting the tuning pegs, she strummed once and turned her attention towards Rachel.

"What do you want me to play? I only know like five songs," said Quinn, her pick hanging adorably out of the corner of her mouth as she spoke.

"Anything, it doesn't matter. I just think you look so sexy when you play," said Rachel earnestly and she sat up straighter for her private show.

Quinn strummed the opening bars to the song she had learned for Rachel's Hanukkah gift and Rachel clapped excitedly and moved to the edge of the bed as Quinn began to sing. As soon as Quinn strummed the last chord, Rachel walked over and pulled the guitar off of Quinn, instead replacing it with herself in Quinn's lap. Quinn laughed and grasped Rachel's sides as the brunette straddled her thighs.

Rachel surged forward and kissed Quinn roughly, pushing her back against the hard wood of the chair. Quinn groaned at the sensation and slid her hands under Rachel's blouse, resting them back on the bare skin of her sides. Rachel's hands were gripped in Quinn's hair at the base of her neck and she was tugging on it gently as she deepened the kiss, her tongue swirling with Quinn's.

"Take me," groaned Rachel, pushing Quinn's hand down to the hem of her short skirt. Quinn's hand slid along the bare flesh, feeling its silky warmth as she inched up towards where Rachel needed her the most.

Rachel ran her tongue lightly along Quinn's lower lip before pushing further into her mouth and rocking her hips. She reached down and guided Quinn's hand to her wet panties and groaned into Quinn's mouth at the delicious friction Quinn's palm against her as she rocked into the hand.

"Will you stop being so gentle and just fuck me?" panted Rachel, moving to bite down on Quinn's earlobe. Quinn's own hips bucked at Rachel's words and she pushed the brunette's panties to one side before sliding through the wet folding and positioning her hand at the brunette's dripping center. She attached her lips to Rachel's neck and sucked as she pushed two fingers deep into Rachel.

The brunette moaned and tossed her head back, linking her arms around Quinn's neck for support. She met the thrusts of Quinn's fingers with the movement of her hips, pushing the blonde to quicken the pace. Quinn was curling her fingers against Rachel's sensitive walls and Rachel was speeding towards her orgasm. The blonde impaled Rachel with a third finger on her next thrust, causing the brunette to cry out in surprise. Her hips were moving fast and erratically as a white heat burned through her lower abdomen.

The blonde's name fell out of Rachel's mouth mixed with a moan as her walls contracted and her waves of pleasure began rolling over her. Quinn gripped her tightly around the waist with her free arm as her body went limp with exhaustion and satisfaction.

After a few long minutes, she picked her head up from where it had been resting on Quinn's shoulder, her breathing now even. Quinn removed her hand from under Rachel's skirt and tilted her head upwards to meet Rachel's waiting lips.

"You're so damn sexy when you're forceful like that," mumbled Quinn against Rachel's lips. Rachel grinned against her before kissing her again.

"There's something oddly rewarding about getting ex-head Cheerio Quinn Fabray to do what I want," husked Rachel. Quinn let out a small whimper in response.

Rachel glanced over at the clock before hopping up off of Quinn's lap, earning her a pout from the blonde girl.

"Your mom is going to be home soon and we're having dinner with her and Ted tonight, remember?" said Rachel, walking over to Quinn's dresser and pulling out clean underwear for herself. "Do you mind if I take a quick shower?" she asked, already walking towards Quinn's bathroom.

"Do I get to join you?" asked Quinn with a naughty grin and a suggestive eyebrow raise.

"Of course not! Your mother will be home any minute," Rachel replied as she skipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Quinn sighed and slid into her closet to pick an outfit for this dinner. By the time Rachel emerged from the bathroom topless and towel drying her long hair, Quinn was in a light blue dress and a simple white cardigan with a matching headband.

"Only you could make innocent Christian girl look so hot," said Rachel, leaning in to kiss Quinn and making the blonde squeal when her wet hair slid against Quinn's cheek.

Judy called out a hello from downstairs, so Rachel made her way into Quinn's closet to get dressed. Quinn's eyes followed her until she disappeared amongst the clothes before going downstairs to greet her mother.

Ted and Judy were laughing and dancing around one another as they prepared dinner in the kitchen. Quinn leaned against the doorframe and watch the two of them. Her mother was glowing and giggled like a little girl when Ted's arms wrapped around her to block her from getting to the fridge before him. She didn't want to interrupt because she simply couldn't remember a single memory of seeing her mom so happy. Russell was not the playful type and she saw more love between her mom and Ted than she ever had from her parents.

"They're adorable, aren't they?" Rachel had snuck up next to Quinn and rested her cheek against Quinn's shoulder.

"I wish this had been my childhood," said Quinn quietly, interlocking her fingers with Rachel's.

Rachel just gripped her hand tighter and they stood there in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Ted spun Judy around and they laughed and Judy caught a glimpse of the girls standing in the doorway. Her face was flushed from the excitement and she brushed her hair out of her face as she smiled at her daughter. Quinn met her smile and pulled Rachel into the kitchen.

"We were just getting dinner ready," said Judy with a girlish giggle and turned back to the stove. Quinn and Rachel sat down at the breakfast bar and the four of them chatted and laughed while Ted and Judy worked on dinner. It was the happiest Quinn had ever remembered being in this house.

Judy and Ted left after dinner to meet up with some friends, leaving the girls the house to themselves. They were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie, but Quinn couldn't keep thinking about this new version of her mom. Russell had suppressed her for so long. Everything was based around his wants and needs and this house had always been so cold and uninviting. Quinn thought back to formal, quiet family dinners where her mother sucked down glasses of wine. Tonight there had been laughter and Judy hadn't even finished her one glass of wine before they left. Quinn had never thought about her mom dating again after the divorce, but she was happy for her and she liked Ted.

"Where's your head, Quinnie?" asked Rachel quietly, softly stroking the blonde locks.

"Just thinking about my mom. I just can't explain how different things were when my dad lived here," Quinn said quietly, reveling in the soothing scraping of Rachel's fingernails on her scalp.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. I'm just glad that Russell is pretty much out of our lives. The only thing I'm grateful about is that he has enough guilt to pay for Yale and left my mom with a nice settlement."

"You've earned everything you got, Quinn. You deserved Yale and you got there without his help. The least he could do is foot the bill."

Quinn smiled up at Rachel. She was the one girl that had always seen through her. Most people were surprised when they found out she was valedictorian and had gotten accepted to Yale, but Rachel seemed to realize it was inevitable. She was the only one that saw Quinn in the library after school everyday once she got kicked off of Cheerios. Rachel never doubted her when the rest of Lima, including her own parents, had.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

This felt like a real family. Granted a dysfunctional one, but definitely one full of love. Shelby had called Quinn and asked if she would like to invite her mom to their goodbye dinner on Sunday. It had almost turned into a party. Shelby was sitting on one side of Beth's high chair with the small blonde squealing as she shoved handfuls of peas into her mouth. Puck was sitting on the other side, wearing a button down shirt and looking adoringly at his daughter. Mrs. Puckerman was next to him and for once didn't seem to be glaring at Quinn. Rachel was clasping her hand under the table as she sat next to her fathers, who were catching up with Shelby. Judy and Ted sat on Quinn's other side and Quinn had to keep nudging her mom to put the camera away at the dinner table, but Judy couldn't seem to refrain from taking pictures of her granddaughter.

"Thanks for having us all over, Shelby," said Quinn as she helped the tall brunette clear the table.

"Look, I know that we had a rocky start and that I really screwed up with Rachel, but I want Beth to know how much people love her."

"You can't fix what you did to Rachel by making sure it doesn't happen to Beth. I would never abandon the chance to know my little girl, even if it hurts sometimes that I'm missing out on so much with her because the little amount of time I get with her is everything to me. Rachel is doing this because Beth is important to me and is willing to put her own emotions about you aside. I hope that you can work things out because I know that Rachel still dreams about having her mother be a part of her life, but you need to understand how much she's trying to protect herself from getting hurt again."

"I know all of that, Quinn. I don't know how break down those walls when I know I don't deserve to be let in again. Maybe she doesn't need me as a mom anymore, but I'd love to at least have a relationship with her."

"She wants you to be a part of her life, but she doesn't know how to do it without protecting herself. Rachel is the most forgiving person I know, but this time she was knocked down so hard that she's actually put her walls up. It's going to take a long time to earn that trust back and I know you want to help and call your contacts to help her in New York, but what she really needs is for you to believe that she can make it on her own based solely on her talent, not because her mom is well-connected."

Quinn stacked the rest of the dishes in the sink, her gaze intent on Shelby. Shelby nodded, understanding Quinn's point.

"Let her come to you and ask for help, but don't do anything without her specifically asking or you're just going to break the little bit of trust she has right now."

Shelby just nodded again and Quinn turned to join the rest of the crowd.

Beth was holding a tiny plastic microphone and was singing "Wheels on the Bus" as loud as she could. All of the guests had her full attention and she seemed to thrive on it as she twirled in her party dress. Quinn couldn't help but picture a young Rachel Berry doing the same thing in her living room as a toddler.

"How is it that she got our genes, yet she's a mini Rachel?" asked Puck into Quinn's ear, making her laugh.

"I was just thinking the same thing," she said, her eyes following Beth as she skipped around the room as she sung.

Everybody clapped loudly when she finished and she took a practiced bow.

"How about we do a duet, Beth?" asked Rachel. The small blonde looked confused for a minute until Rachel picked up the second microphone.

"Rakel sing too?" she asked, cocking her head to one side, much like Puck always did. Rachel nodded enthusiastically and Beth smiled widely as Rachel came to kneel next to her.

The two of them gave a fantastic rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Rachel had let Beth take the lead and the two of them danced around. Quinn had never felt so much happiness before than being surrounded by her favorite people in the world and watching her two loves perform a duet in the middle of the living room.

After their bows and another round of applause, it was time for the guests to leave. The parents said goodbye first, leaving Puck, Rachel, and Quinn with the Corcorans.

Rachel gave Beth a hug and kissed her hair and the little girl snuggled into her sweetly. Puck picked her up and twirled her around, eliciting a round of giggles before hugging her and plopping her into Quinn's arms. He kissed Shelby's cheek in farewell and told her that he would stop by next week before heading out himself. Quinn hugged Beth into her, inhaling the smell of her shampoo and all the wonderful things that babies always seem to smell like.

"I'll come visit as soon as I can, baby girl. I love you," she whispered into Beth's ear before kissing her forehead gently and handing her back to Shelby.

"Thanks for having us all over, Shelby," said Rachel graciously, walking over and holding her hand out. Quinn could see the disappointment in Shelby's eyes, but she took her daughter's hand and forced her show smile onto her face.

"I'll call you guys when I'm back at Yale next week and maybe we could set up a time to video chat or something," said Quinn hopefully and Shelby nodded her approval. Quinn gave her a light one-arm hug so as to not disturb Beth, who was already starting to doze off against Shelby's shoulder. Quinn dropped one more kiss to Beth's hair before heading down the hall with a little wave of farewell.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Santana picked up her phone for about the fortieth time in the last ten minutes and sighed before throwing it back onto Quinn's bed.

"She's just working, San. You know that she misses you too," said Quinn, plucking at the strings of her guitar, her bags half packed and lying open on her floor.

"I've hardly spoken to her and with the hours she's working right now I'm not even going to see her once I get back. It just fucking sucks, ya know?"

"It's what we get for dating incredibly talented girls I suppose." She propped the guitar back onto its stand before collapsing onto her bed next to her best friend.

"Wanna take the Cosmo quiz that will tell us if our boyfriends are right for us?" asked Santana, holding up the magazine. Quinn laughed and nodded her head, moving closer to read over Santana's shoulder.

It felt like early high school again. Santana and Brittany would come over and the three of them would lie here together taking silly quizzes and reading the articles out loud. It was like being back in the days when Quinn was dating Finn without all of the drama of being pregnant and joining glee. So much had changed since then, but Quinn felt at home curled up against Santana as they laughed over the ridiculous questions.

"How do you and Berry make the distance thing work so well? You make it look so damn easy." Quinn looked up from the magazine to see Santana adamantly avoiding her eyes. She hated being soft like this.

"A lot of phone sex," Quinn said, trying to lighten the mood. She got a weak giggle out of Santana. "But seriously, we have linked Google calendars so we can keep on one another's schedule and do our best to make time for each other around them. We plan visits so we have something to look forward and we never go to bed without talking, even if it's just for five minutes."

"That sounds horrible," said Santana.

"It sucks a lot of the time, but I'd rather have her a couple of weekends a month and on the phone than not at all," replied Quinn sincerely. "Is this about Brittany possibly going on tour?"

"She got the offer. The tour starts in April and will run through most of the summer and they'll be in the studio to choreograph for it basically all of the time before that," Santana finally looked up and Quinn could see how worried Santana was.

"Brittany loves you, San. She's not the kind of person that is going to have roadies and be partying like crazy and forgetting to call you every night while you're sitting home alone." Quinn reached over and interlocked her pinky with Santana's.

"I know, but I've always been right next to her through everything. You know as well as I do that Britt lives in a world that's much more innocent than ours and I don't want her to lose that when she's living on a tour bus with a bunch of rowdy people and I'm not there to protect her."

"So this is about Brittany and not about the fact that you can't digest your food without something warm underneath you?" asked Quinn. Santana laughed despite herself.

"You're such a bitch sometimes, Fabray," she said. "Of course it's about her. I can handle my own but I'm worried about her."

"Britt is one of the sweetest and smartest people I know, San. She'll be fine as long as she knows that you love her and you're supporting her in this." Santana tightened her grip on Quinn's pinky and lifted her hand to her mouth, kissing her own fist. Quinn did the same, smiling at their old handshake.

She hopped up and left Santana, returning a few minutes later with a half-gallon container of strawberry ice cream and two spoons. Santana pulled the container and a spoon out of Quinn's hand and dug in before Quinn even settled back down onto the bed.

"I'm glad that my only function as your best friend is to hold your hair back when you hurl from drinking too much and providing ice cream for comfort," said Quinn as she tried to stick her own spoon in the container, only to have Santana pull it away from her.

"That's right, bitch," said Santana with a smirk. "Best fucking friends." She stuck her spoon full of ice cream into Quinn's face, getting it all over her lips and chin as she caught her in surprise. They laughed and Quinn wiped her face before stealing back the container and filling her own spoon.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Rachel, everything is packed and ready. I promise." Quinn sighed as Rachel triple checked every item on the clipboard in her hand.

"There is no harm in being thorough, Quinn," said Rachel in her bossy tone. After being satisfied that nothing had been forgotten, she kissed each of her fathers goodbye and they finally headed out onto the road.

Rachel's road-trip playlist started as soon as they pulled off of her block and Quinn settled into the mindless task of cruising on the highway as they headed east. The sky was gray in a typical wintery depressed way and she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel along with the beat of the song. Rachel was singing softly, her head on a pillow leaning against the passenger side window.

They drove for an hour in near silence. Quinn smiled at the fact that Rachel Berry had managed to be silent for so long. High school Rachel would have talked her ear off by now. NYADA Rachel was reclined in her seat examining her cuticles with her feet propped up on the dashboard.

"You look adorable," said Quinn with a grin as Rachel looked up at her. She blushed slightly at the comment and took in Quinn's choppy hair that was pushed off of her face with the aviator sunglasses that were perched on the top of her head. Her hazel eyes were sparkling and her fingers were still drumming in time with the music.

"Well you are a sight of perfect as always, Ms. Fabray," replied Rachel, sitting up in her seat.

"I didn't even put makeup on this morning, Rach," said Quinn shyly.

"That makes you look even more beautiful. You're perfect. And I'm starving. According to my itinerary, we're not supposed to stop for another 50 miles, but I need some caffeine and bad rest stop food."

Quinn drove for ten more minutes before pulling off at the next rest stop. Rachel pulled her coat on before stepping out of the car and scolding Quinn for only wearing a sweater despite the freezing temperature.

They grabbed large coffees and an assortment of snacks that Rachel deemed road-trip worthy before heading back onto the road. The brunette was settled back in the passenger seat, inhaling pretzel nuggets and bouncing happily in her seat from the caffeine buzz. Quinn just smiled happily as she continued along the endless stretch of highway.

The itinerary quickly got thrown away. They were making good time and after stopping for dinner, Rachel was behind the wheel as Quinn scrolled through the iPod to pick the next song. She pressed play on a song and let the opening bars fill the car, turning the volume knob up.

As the lyrics began, Rachel's eyes widened in recognition.

"Quinn, why are we listening to me?"

"You are my favorite thing to listen to," replied Quinn, tapping her hands on the dashboard as Rachel's voice filled her ears. "You brought down the house with this at Regionals senior year."

"I remember. It was right before I told Finn I couldn't be with him anymore," Rachel said softly and Quinn's gaze snapped to her girlfriend's.

"Do you think that was the right decision?" she asked tentatively.

"Are you really asking me that, Quinn?" asked Rachel incredulously. She sighed before continuing. "I just felt awful. He was talking about following me to New York and our future and I hurt him by saying I didn't want those things."

"I always knew that you were destined for bigger things than Finn Hudson," replied Quinn confidently.

"You definitely made that clear," said Rachel with a small chuckle.

"My honesty worked out pretty well if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you, but I'll agree that it worked out. I landed a hot blonde former cheerleader instead." Quinn laughed. Things had definitely worked out, even if this was never the way she had imagined it when she had told Rachel that Finn wasn't good enough for her.

It was just after ten when they pulled up to Rachel's apartment. After unloading the car and dropping their bags haphazardly on the living room floor, they cuddled up on the couch together, listening to the buzz of the city surrounding them.

"I can't wait until this is forever," mumbled Rachel to a half-asleep Quinn next to her.

"This is forever, Rachel Berry."


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

The dark red dress hugged around her slim body. She spun in front of the full length mirror hanging on the back of the door admiring the way it flared with the movement before sitting down on the bed to pull on her heels. With one more twirl, she opened the bedroom door and walked into the living room where Quinn was waiting for her.

"You look stunning, Rachel," breathed Quinn, standing up to join her in the doorway. Her own simple black dress fell to her knees and cut into a low V on her chest, showing off the perfect amount of cleavage. She was wearing simple gold pumps and a matching gold headband in her straight blonde hair.

"And you are beautiful, my girl," said Rachel taking Quinn's hand and twirling her around. "I can't wait to get you out of that sexy dress," she said huskily.

Quinn gulped audibly at Rachel's words.

"We have a long night ahead of us before that, Rachel Berry." She glanced at her watch. "Your chariot awaits, my princess." She held Rachel's coat up and helped her into it before pulling on her own. She took her hand and led her down to the street where the town car was waiting for them.

Quinn smiled at the driver as he opened the door for them and she helped Rachel inside. Rachel was as giddy as a schoolgirl as they drove uptown to the restaurant. Their hands were interlocked and Rachel was talking a mile a minute and pointing things out on the streets, but Quinn could only fixate on the excited beauty sitting next to her.

When they pulled up at the restaurant, the valet opened the door for them and helped them out of the car. Quinn offered her arm to Rachel, who took it happily and they walked into the restaurant. Rachel was enamored immediately by the place Quinn had chosen. There was no place in Lima that even came close to this place with its crystal chandeliers and the wait staff in tuxedos.

"Reservation for Fabray," said Quinn confidently to the host, who glanced down his list before smiling up at the two young girls.

"Follow me, ladies," he said, gesturing to the right. They followed him to the back of the restaurant to a table for two that was covered in a pristine white tablecloth with a candle flickering in the middle of the setting. He held out their seats for them as they sat and Rachel's face was still shining with excitement.

The host excused himself and was immediately replaced with their waiter, a college-aged blond boy, who presented them with menus and introduced himself as Pierce. He took their drink orders and bowed, leaving them to peruse the menu.

"Quinn, this is the most magical night of my life," said Rachel, glancing around the high ceilinged room in complete awe.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. Now, I called ahead to make sure that there were plenty of vegan options. The menu items that are marked with a little leaf are vegan friendly." Rachel gave her a luminescent smile.

Pierce appeared next to their table with their drinks. He gave a show smile to rival Rachel's as he pulled out his pad to take their orders. Rachel didn't miss the obvious Broadway aspirations seeping from the pretty boy.

"Are you an actor?" Rachel asked with interest.

"Uh.." he stuttered, looking around for his boss. "I'm a junior Tisch School of the Arts. This is just a gig to help pay tuition." Rachel's face lit up.

"Tisch is an excellent school," Rachel said excitedly. "I'm a freshman at NYADA." He smiled at her.

"Also an excellent school. Now what can I interest you beautiful ladies in for dinner?"

Pierce jotted down their orders and gave them another smile before walking away to put it into the kitchen.

"Did you find yourself a new Broadway buddy?" teased Quinn with a giggle.

"He has all of the makings of a perfect leading man. Did you see his bone structure?" asked Rachel seriously.

"Are you crushing on Pierce the waiter?" asked Quinn, trying to keep her face straight.

"All I was insinuating was that he would be a wonderful co-star. You are all I need, Quinn Fabray."

Dinner went smoothly. Pierce was an attentive and personable waiter. Every time he stopped at the table, Rachel quizzed him more about his aspirations as an actor and Quinn just watched amused at the budding friendship.

When the bill came, Quinn slipped her credit card into it before Rachel had a chance to even see it and Pierce took it away, dropping a pile of mints on the table with a wink.

"Get his number, Rach," she said, unwrapping one of the fancy mints and tossing it into her mouth.

"Quinn Fabray, I am on an insanely romantic date with my girlfriend. I am not asking our waiter for his telephone number."

Pierce dropped the receipt down in front of Quinn with a pen for her to sign. She scribbled her signature, but held onto the pen.

"Hey, Pierce!" she called, waving the waiter back over to their table. He looked at her expectantly. "Rachel is a wimp, but I told her to get your number so that you two could gush over Broadway things." She glanced at Rachel who was eying her up. "As friends only, of course."

He turned to Rachel and gave another show smile. He picked up the pen and pulled his pad out of his pocket. A minute later, Rachel was holding a scribbled phone number.

"Give me a call sometime next week and we could grab coffee or something." He turned to Quinn. "Will I be seeing your lovely face again as well?" he asked politely.

"Not next week. I'm a student at Yale so I'll be back at school." She gave a classic Fabray smile. "Plus, my girlfriend needs somebody to talk show business with now that her roommate and our good friend has decided to transfer out of NYADA."

With a fleeting smile, Pierce floated away to help one his other tables. Quinn stood and helped Rachel up from her chair and into her coat. The valet got their driver, who pulled up in front of the restaurant a minute later and held the door open once again as the girls climbed in.

A few minutes later, they were pulling up in front of the Gershwin theatre. Rachel had stars in her eyes as they walked in. After checking their coats, an usher led them to their seats at center stage.

"Baby, these seats are fantastic." Rachel was bouncing excitedly in her seat and clutching onto Quinn's hand tightly. "Two years ago, Kurt and I sang on that stage dreaming of our futures in performance."

"It won't be long until you'll actually be performing, Rachel Berry."

The lights flashed to alert people that the show was starting. Rachel snuggled her head into Quinn's shoulder as the play started. Throughout the whole thing, Rachel sung softly next to Quinn and the blonde found herself listening to Rachel more than the actual performers. Thanks to Rachel's informed lessons on the show before they went, Quinn was able to follow the plot well and recognized most of the songs from many afternoons hanging out in Rachel's bedroom.

It was late by the time the show finished and they strolled out of the theatre hand in hand. Rachel was practically skipping as she went over the whole musical scene by scene and critiqued each of the musical numbers.

Their car was waiting where they left it and they climbed in one more time. Rachel snuggled into Quinn's side and Quinn's fingers found the silky brown hair.

When they pulled up to Rachel's apartment building, they got out of the car and Quinn slipped the driver some cash before leading Rachel inside.

"Tonight was beyond perfect, Quinn," said Rachel as soon as they got into the apartment. "Thank you."

"I'd give you the world, Rachel," Quinn said, but was cut off by Rachel's lips on hers. Her back was pressed against the door and Rachel was flush against her, effectively pinning Quinn. Quinn's tongue fought Rachel's for dominance, and her moaned as Rachel sucked on hers.

"Fuck, Rach. Bed. Now." Quinn pushed Rachel off of her before leading her into Rachel's room.

Quinn unzipped her dress and let it drop to the floor before jumping onto the bed and gesturing to Rachel to join her. Rachel pulled her own dress off and crawled up the bed next to her girlfriend.

"You're amazing, Quinn Fabray," growled Rachel, straddling Quinn's hips and lowered her mouth to Quinn's neck. She left a trail of kisses down to Quinn's collarbone, pausing there to suck gently until Quinn was rolling her hips beneath her.

Things had been hot and heavy against the door, but Rachel was slowing them down. She wanted to worship the perfect specimen under her. It was a night of undeniable romance.

Rachel got up and set up her iPod in the docking station, scrolling to find the appropriate playlist. Quinn's eyes didn't leave her as she lit the only two candles in her room before rejoining her on the bed. The blonde was sprawled across the bed, her hair messy against Rachel's pillow and her eyes dark with lust. Rachel was back on top of Quinn, her hands running softly up Quinn's ribcage and lightly palming the bra-clad breasts as she leaned back down to kiss her. Quinn mewled at the touch and rolled her hips upwards again, but Rachel was straddling her too far up to give any relief.

With a small giggle at Quinn's impatience, Rachel reached underneath the blonde and pulled her up slightly so she could release Quinn's bra. She pulled it slowly away from the milky skin, letting her fingertips graze against the globes. Quinn was shuddering at the small touches, anticipation growing ever stronger within her.

Rachel's fingers danced along the smooth skin, eliciting soft moans from Quinn. She reconnected their mouths, kissing the blonde deeply and slowly as she moved, tracing the ribcage and scratching her nails along Quinn's hipbones. She let her hands wander back up and ran her palms over Quinn's breasts, feeling the nipples pebble beneath them and making both girls groan. Quinn pushed up into the hands, silently begging Rachel for more.

Quinn's hand tangled into Rachel's hair as Rachel moved her mouth off of Quinn's and began kissing down her neck again. Pausing for a short nibble on her collarbone, the diva continued downward until her lips met the hardened bud. She swirled her tongue around it, her hand still rolling the other one between fingertips and eliciting a delicious moan from the blonde.

She stretched out, laying flat on top of Quinn with her thigh pressed against Quinn's hot center and giving the blonde the friction she so desired. Quinn rolled her hips up into Rachel's leg as the brunette's tongue flicked against her nipple. The anticipation was torture and she wanted nothing but to push the brunette's hand to where she needed it the most, but Rachel seemed set on taking her time and Quinn knew it was impossible to change Rachel's mind once it was made up.

Rachel, sensing Quinn's desperate need for more, ran her hand down the tight abs of Quinn's stomach and cupped her over her soaked panties. Quinn began rolling her hips in a fast rhythm against the hand, basking in the wonderful friction. Rachel switched the ministrations of her mouth to the other breast, causing Quinn to let out a deep groan.

When she stopped and pulled away from Quinn, the blonde whimpered in annoyance and Rachel nearly laughed at the pout that now occupied Quinn's beautiful face. She slid her hands down Quinn's sides and hooked her fingers in the waistband of the lace panties and dragged them slowly down Quinn's legs before finally getting them off and dropping them onto the floor next to the bed. Quinn shuddered as she dragged her fingernail up her legs and along her inner thighs.

Rachel laid down next to Quinn, propping herself up on an elbow while her other hand continued to creep slowly up Quinn's leg. Quinn's eyes were shut tightly and her mouth was slightly agape. She looked like a goddess with one hand tucked under her head and her blonde hair falling on the pillow around her.

Unable to tease her girlfriend anymore, Rachel slid her fingertips through Quinn's wet slit, earning a loud moan and a roll of Quinn's hips into her hand. She moved slowly with a purpose, applying just enough pressure that Quinn could feel every movement without giving too much pleasure. She reached the top and swirled her fingers back downwards, expertly avoiding the blonde's clit. She paused momentarily at Quinn's sopping hole and entered her up to the first knuckle before withdrawing the digit again and moving her fingers upwards again. Quinn groaned with pent-up frustration and tried to grind into Rachel's fingers. Rachel chuckled and let her fingertips slide over the sensitive bud and causing Quinn to gasp loudly and ball the sheets into her fist. Rachel smiled down at the beautiful, writhing girl and could no longer deny her the pleasure she was dying to give her.

She swirled her fingers in tight circles against Quinn's clit and the girl arched her back at the relief of finally being touched in her most intimate spot. Rachel sped up and got Quinn near the edge before slowing down and moving back down to her entrance and pushing two fingers gently into the warmth. Quinn had given up on controlling her bucking hips and was working furiously against Rachel's digits, groaning every time the brunette's palm pressed against her swollen clit.

Rachel could feel her walls clenching against her fingers as she curled them inside the other girl and she began rubbing her thumb against Quinn's clit as she thrust into her. Quinn was panting hard as she moved to push Rachel's fingers deeper into her. Her movements became erratic as she closed in on her orgasm and Rachel pushed her pace up to push the blonde over the edge.

"Rachhhhh.." moaned Quinn as she came, her hips bucking wildly and her fists grasping the sheets as the waves rolled through. It was easily the longest orgasm she ever had and it took a few minutes for her to regain her senses. Rachel slid her fingers out and sucked them dry. Quinn could feel herself dripping onto the sheets below her. Her body was exhausted from the pleasure and she laid limply as Rachel crawled up her body and snuggled into her. Within minutes they were both asleep.

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Quinn woke up to find herself naked in Rachel's bed, but the brunette was missing. She buried her face into the pillow as she stretched her tired limbs and she could hear Rachel's singing voice floating in from the kitchen. It was a Kelly Clarkson song and Quinn just laid there taking in her favorite sound in the world.

When she hit the high last note at full volume, Quinn dragged herself out of the bed to join Rachel in the kitchen. There was a plate stacked high with what Quinn presumed to be vegan pancakes. Rachel spun around and greeted her with a vibrant smile and she gave Quinn a chaste kiss before handing her a mug of coffee. Quinn thanked her and settled down at the kitchen table, watching Rachel's swinging hips as she returned to singing and flipping the last batch of pancakes.

"What do you want to do on our last day together?" asked Rachel, sitting down at the table next to Quinn and sipping her own coffee.

"I just want to spend time with you. I don't care what we do," replied Quinn, shoving a piece of pancake in her mouth and groaning in satisfaction.

"Well it's not supposed to be too cold today. We could go to Bryant Park or something if you want to play with your new camera," suggested Rachel.

"That sounds great, babe. We can grab lunch and come back and just hang out afterwards if you want," replied Quinn. Rachel nodded her approval. They finished their breakfast over light conversation.

An hour later, they were showered and layered up for a morning in a wintery New York City. It was relatively mild for January and Quinn and Rachel strolled happily from the subway to the park hand in hand. The ice skating rink was still set up and a few families were skating, children laughing happily.

Quinn pulled her camera out of its padded bag that was slung on her shoulder and looked through the viewfinder and adjusted the lens. A minute later she was snapping away at the people on the ice rink. Rachel stood next to her, taking in the sight of Quinn in her element. The blonde was so focused and Rachel tried to take in the scene, attempting to see it the way Quinn did.

After a few minutes of furious clicking, Quinn pulled the camera away from her face and let the camera hang around her neck. They walked again until Quinn found another spot to photograph and Rachel waited patiently next to her as she did.

"Feel like being my model?" asked Quinn, poking her head out from behind the camera. Rachel immediately flashed her Broadway smile, never turning down an opportunity to practice for the paparazzi. Quinn laughed warmheartedly at Rachel's enthusiasm.

"Now, I've never shot with an actual model that is posing, so bear with me, okay?" Rachel nodded furiously, her smile still plastered on her face. "Baby, you don't need a face breaking smile for this. I just want some relaxed, fun shots of you."

Rachel tried to relax her smile to one that was more natural, but every time Quinn lifted the camera it jumped back onto her face.

"Lean against that tree and look off towards the ice rink instead of towards me," directed Quinn. She figured that if Rachel wasn't looking at her maybe the smile would fade a little.

Rachel jumped at the instruction and was lounging against the oak tree, its bare branches just above her head. She looked off towards the rink like Quinn told her to. Quinn raised her camera to her face again.

"Damn, your ass looks great in those jeans, Rach," said Quinn. Rachel blushed and a real grin broke onto her face. Quinn snapped a series of pictures of this real Rachel. After a minute she walked in front of Rachel, dropping her camera back to hang around her neck as she walked around Rachel to find a new angle to shoot from. Rachel was completely in her element now, having relaxed a bit.

Half an hour later, Quinn fingers were frozen from holding the camera and Rachel's cheeks were bright red from the cold. They walked into a little café near the subway stop and warmed up for a while. Quinn flipped through the pictures she had taken as they sat and was really pleased with some of the shots she had gotten. Rachel kept leaning over to look at them over her shoulder.

"You're really good at this, Quinnie."

"Thanks, babe," said Quinn shyly, flipping through the last set before shutting off the camera and finishing her cappuccino so they could head back to the apartment.

The rest of the day was spent in sweatpants cuddled up on Rachel's couch. They only emerged to grab take out for dinner at the Thai place a block away. It was everything Rachel could hope for in a last day before Quinn had to leave for Yale. It was late and Rachel was lying with her head in Quinn's lap as they watched Moulin Rouge. Rachel's eyes fluttered closed at the feeling of Quinn's fingers brushing slowly through her hair.

"Baby, we should go to bed," murmured Quinn,

"Mmm, but the movie."

"Rach, you're half-asleep and not watching it anyway. Wouldn't you rather be snuggled up in bed with me?" Rachel mumbled her agreement and let Quinn turn the movie off before leading her into the bedroom. Within minutes they were under the down comforter and Rachel's head was nuzzled into the crook of Quinn's neck.

"I don't want to go back to sleeping alone," grumbled Rachel, her breath warm against Quinn's neck.

"Mmm, me neither." She pulled the tiny brunette in tighter. "As much as it sucks, it least we know how to handle the distance. I'm worried about San and Brittany with B going on tour in a couple of months."

"They're made for each other I'm sure they'll work it out, Quinn."

"I hope so. Santana has a tendency to push people away when she's insecure."

"Well she has you to keep her on the right track, babe. Now cuddle me and never let go."

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"Rach, I left an hour ago," said Quinn with a chuckle in greeting.

"I just miss you," pouted Rachel on the other end of the line. "Come back to New York. You don't need stupid Yale."

"Or maybe you could just give up New York and be my muse in New Haven instead," joked Quinn.

"I'll have it known that I'm destined for greatness and New Haven is hardly above the cow town we left in Ohio. Have you forgotten that I need applause to live, Fabray?" They were both laughing now.

"Well I guess I'll just have to work my ass off this semester so I can live with my girlfriend in the big city for the summer then."

"Damn right, you will. Be safe getting back and call me once you're all settled in. And I miss you."

"Miss you too, Rach." Quinn ended the call. She turned up the radio as she drove north and farther away from the girl she loved. Yale was amazing and she wouldn't trade it for the world, but the distance definitely sucked.

Less than two hours later had Quinn lugging her guitar case and her last bag up the flights of stairs. With a turn of her key, she took in the view of her second home in the shape of the cinder block walls of the tiny dorm room.

Hayley's bags were thrown haphazardly on the bed, but the girl herself was nowhere to be found. Quinn threw the last of her stuff against her dresser before dropping down onto her twin bed. It seemed tiny and lonely compared to Rachel's bed in New York.

She texted Rachel to tell her that she was back safely and headed down the hallway to Jess' room, figuring she'd find both her and Hayley there. She knocked tentatively and an unfamiliar voice beckoned her to enter. Quinn pushed the door open slowly and was greeted by a strawberry blonde girl that she had never seen before.

"Hey, I'm Keagan. Were you looking for Jessica?" Quinn eyed up the new girl and suppressed a giggle at hearing Jess called by her full name by this stranger. The girl shifted uncomfortably under Quinn's gaze.

"Uh, hey. I'm Quinn." She held her hand out to the new girl, who took it nervously. "Any idea where Jess is?"

"No, I'm sorry. She kind of just stormed out when her phone rang about a half hour ago." Keagan picked up her own phone from her bed and looked at it, obviously unsure what to do.

"Are you new to Yale?" asked Quinn, sitting down on the edge of Jess' bed.

"Yeah. I went to Stanford last semester, but I missed the east coast." Quinn tried to smile encouringly at the timid girl.

"Have you eaten dinner yet?" Keagan fidgeted with her phone for a moment before shaking her head. "Well, let's go." Quinn stood up and nodded toward the door. Keagan grabbed her jacket from the back of her desk chair and shoved her keys into her pocket before following Quinn out of the room.

They stopped at Quinn's room so she could get her own jacket before heading down to the dining hall. The short walk was awkward. Keagan was obviously a shy person and Quinn was still used to people seeking her out rather than having to work for friendships. She sighed with relief when she spotted Jess sitting at their typical table with a couple of their mutual friends.

She waved and they grabbed trays of food before heading over to join them. Quinn introduced Keagan and Jess gave her a nod of acknowledgment and leaned over to give Quinn a one-armed hug.

"Where's Hayls?" asked Quinn, picking up her fork and diving into her pasta.

"Fuck if I know. She called me earlier to tell me that she was eating with her other friends and I've seen her for like five minutes since we got back." Quinn realized this was obviously a touchy subject and Quinn figured she'd get her alone when they got back to the dorm. She leaned over to whisper in Jess' ear instead.

"Look, Keagan is super shy and I'm pretty sure she's terrified of you. Please try to be nice, Jess." Jess snorted at Quinn's comment, earning her a glare from the former head bitch.

"I'll try." It was the most she was going to get out of Jess, but it was most definitely a start.

After dinner, Quinn walked back to her dorm with Jess and Keagan and did her best to forge conversation between the two girls. Jess just seemed completely indifferent and a little annoyed that they replaced her no-show roommate after she had gotten used to having a single. Keagan was just incredibly shy and spent most of the walk staring down at her feet rather than taking in the beautiful campus. Quinn bade them goodbye when they got back and headed into her own room, relieved to see Hayley lounged on her bed watching TV.

Hayley smiled at her and gestured for Quinn to join her. They giggled as they tried to remember the logistics of squeezing two people onto the tiny bed and finally got comfortable.

"I know this is probably not the first conversation you want to have now that we're back, but what is up with you and Jess?" Hayley sighed deeply and rested her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"You know Jess. She's been completely hot and cold for the past five weeks. We hardly spoke for one of the weeks and then next thing I knew she was standing on my doorstep saying she hated being apart from me."

"And what did you tell her after that?" asked Quinn.

"That we needed to take a step back if we want to give this relationship an actual chance at succeeding. So we're dating like real people date. No sleepovers, no sex, minimal cuddling."

"How long do you think she'll last without the added benefits?"

"She tried to make it the first five minutes I was back. That's why I went to dinner with my bio friends instead. I'm not bending on this. I'm sick of the roller coaster relationship. I really care about her and I need her to prove that she really wants this."

"Sounds completely fair to me," said Quinn approvingly. She thought back to the beginning of last semester when Hayley was a bookworm and hardly social. They almost seemed like two different girls. She couldn't help but hope it would be the same way with Keagan; otherwise Jess might kill the new girl.

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"Are you seriously going to mope around like that all day?" asked Kurt, straightening out his bowtie and checking his reflection in the microwave door. Rachel was lying on the couch with her feet dangled over the armrest. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt and baggy Yale sweatpants she had stolen from Quinn, her hair tossed up in a messy bun.

"I miss Quinn," whined Rachel, flipping through the channels on the TV at a furious pace.

"And I miss Blaine, but I'm not going to sit around in his clothes all day on our last day of freedom before the semester and whine about it. Get that adorable ass into the shower. We're frolicking through the greatest city in the world today." He pulled the remote from Rachel's grasp and shut off the TV, his other hand on his hip in a stance of determination.

Rachel pouted at him, but Kurt didn't budge, so Rachel finally got up and made a show of stomping her way into the bathroom to shower. Kurt just chuckled at her diva fit before making himself some breakfast and sitting down to wait for her to get ready.

Within an hour she was in a Kurt-approved pair of black skinny jeans, an oversized sweater and ballet flats. She pulled on her coat and followed him begrudgingly out the door.

"What is our itinerary anyway?" said Rachel as Kurt dragged her to the subway entrance.

"Everything that real New Yorkers would be embarrassed to do. I still don't feel like this is home and I figure if we get the tourist out of our Ohioan blood, maybe we can start acting like we own this city." Rachel just giggled at his theory.

"Let me guess. Empire State Building, Ferris wheel in Toys'R'Us, Naked Cowboy in Times Square."

"You forgot obnoxious double-decker bus tour and buying knock-offs on Canal Street."

"You know that this does not mean I'm going to eat one of those gross hot dogs from a street vendor, right? I know that's totally real New York, but I am not breaking my vegan lifestyle for something so repulsive." Rachel wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"I'm glad to know you haven't gone crazy, Rachel Berry. I also draw the line at hot dog carts." He took her hand as the exited the subway at their first stop.

By mid-afternoon, Rachel and Kurt had been all over the island of Manhattan. Their arms were loaded with bags of silly souvenirs from their excursions. Now they were wandering through Times Square after taking pictures with the Naked Cowboy and riding the Ferris wheel inside of the giant Toys'R'Us. It was a mild day and people were sitting in the bleachers in the heart of the Square, so Rachel and Kurt stopped for coffee and went to join the atmosphere.

It brought back memories of being there two years ago with the glee kids. Rachel had visited New York for shows a handful of times with her fathers, but it had been different being there with her friends for Nationals.

"So much has changed since we last sat here," said Rachel wistfully, clutching her warm cup in mittened hands.

"Do you mean besides unpressing Quinn and leaving Ohio for the bright lights of Broadway?" asked Kurt with a chuckle.

"I always knew that I would leave Ohio, it was inevitable. But Quinn was definitely a surprise. I'm pretty sure that she hated my guts last time we sat here." Rachel thought back on the Quinn from their trip to Nationals who was spiteful and bitchy. It was when Quinn had chopped off her long hair, which represented the first step towards their friendship in Rachel's mind.

"She's never hated you, Rachel. She's been jealous of you and occasionally annoyed by you, but she could never actually hate you because you've always been the one person that has seen through her façade." Kurt's gaze fell on her with a reassuring smile. Deep inside, Rachel knew he was right. She and Quinn had always spent their time being jealous of one another before they became actual friends. Rachel had never be able to force herself to hate Quinn either even when the blonde laughed in her face as she wiped away slushie from her eyes.

"Why did we never realize our attraction?" asked Rachel curiously. Now, in hindsight, it was so blatantly obvious that they had chemistry.

"You were obsessed with making Finn a perfect leading man and Quinn was battling her demons. I mean, I think Quinn knew it deep down. Considering Santana and Brittany have been her best friends for years, she managed to avoid making out with either of them until the lake house this summer. Even I made out with Brittany in high school." Rachel snorted at the memory of Kurt in a plaid flannel shirt and baseball cap strolling around with Brittany on his arm. Kurt shoved her playfully. "It definitely wasn't my best moment," he added with a chuckle of his own.

They threw out their empty cups and walked back to the subway with their arms linked. The two of them had come a long way in their life and their friendship since the beginning of the glee club. They were almost real New Yorkers and were on the verge of making their longtime dreams come true.

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Derek met Quinn at the door of his dorm, his goofy smile lighting up his face.

"Hey, Q!" he said excitedly, giving her a big hug and relieving her of the guitar case in her hand before leading the way to his room.

Once they were in the room and settled on the bed, he snapped open Quinn's guitar case and admired her Christmas present. He could hardly contain his excitement as his eyes raked along the length of it.

"Quinn, do you realize how nice this guitar is? I had to save my money for an entire summer to buy something that isn't half as good at this," he said, running his fingers delicately along the neck.

"I guess that's the one upside of having rich parents that show their affection through expensive gifts," she said lightheartedly. Her relationship had drastically improved with Judy over the past year, but her parents both still tried to buy her love.

"Can I try it out?" he asked, cradling it gently against his knee.

"Go for it," said Quinn without hesitation. His face lit up and he leaned over to grab a pick off of his desk. With a light strum, he listened intently before adjusting the tuning pins for a minute. Once he was satisfied, he started playing the intro to an old Tim McGraw song. He stopped before the verse and reluctantly handed Quinn her guitar and picking up his own off of the stand.

"How did Rachel like the song?" he asked, playing a fun riff on his own guitar to warm up.

"She loved it. I got plenty of practice over break because Rachel discovered that she has a thing for girls that can play guitar." Derek let out a deep laugh.

"Chicks dig guitars, that's a known fact," he said with a smile.

"So I shouldn't be surprised that my baby's father plays guitar?" she asked. Derek looked uncomfortable for a minute before realizing that Quinn was fine with joking about it and let out another laugh.

"You are an intriguing being, Fabray," he said. He knew her better than anybody at Yale, but there were bits and pieces of the story of her life that slowly got added over time, including that Puck had a ridiculous Mohawk when he knocked her up, once tried to steal an ATM, and apparently wooed her with his guitar.

"Well, let's play You Got Me first and then maybe we can work on a new jam to add to my tiny repertoire." He nodded his agreement and counted off.

Derek's roommate Jeff showed up as they were playing through it a second time, Quinn singing softly. In all the time she had been hanging out with Derek, she had only met Jeff once and he had been wasted at a party.

They finished the song and Derek put his guitar down for a minute.

"Jeff, you remember Quinn? Quinn, my roommate Jeff," Derek said in introduction.

"Oh yeah, you're the one that put Jake in his place and figuratively cut off his testicles in front of half the lacrosse team," Jeff said with a playful smile. Derek laughed loudly at the memory. Quinn smiled with pride. Her HBIC side definitely came in useful sometimes.

"You wanna jam with us, Jeff?" asked Derek, picking up his guitar again. Jeff nodded his head, but paused at their mini fridge to pull out three beers and handed one to Derek and Quinn before popping open his own and taking a big swig. Quinn smiled her thanks and took a small sip of hers.

"I swear I'm not a dick like Jake, but seriously, Quinn, you're insanely beautiful. How is Jamie okay with you constantly hanging out with such a bombshell, D?"

Derek shrugged and took a gulp of his own beer.

"She knows I hang out with a lesbian girl named Quinn. They haven't actually met officially yet and she only saw Quinn when we were all wasted at a party so I don't think she really remembers her."

"So basically your girlfriend is picturing some butch girl and instead you are drinking beer and playing guitar with this lovely woman?" Quinn couldn't help but chuckle. Jeff did have a point; she didn't think about how Jamie would feel about her hanging out with Derek all of the time.

"Their paths just haven't crossed yet," said Derek simply.

"So, Quinn, I hear you're an excellent wingman. Wanna help a bro out sometime?" Jeff flashed a charming smile her way and she laughed again.

"Well now that all of my friends are tied down and my girlfriend is eighty miles away, I'm free for wingman duties, so you're on." She took another sip of her beer before returning to her guitar.

"Sweet!" Jeff said enthusiastically. He walked over and picked up his own guitar and joined them.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

General psychology was Quinn's first class the next day. It was one of her elective classes and she found herself sitting near the back next to a half-asleep Jess.

The professor was pretty boring, but Quinn knew she would ace the class since she took AP Psychology in high school. She took notes while Jess sat and played on her iPhone for the first half of the class, completely ignoring what was going on. Eventually she looked up from her game of Angry Birds to see Quinn copying down something that the professor had just written on the board.

"Seriously, how did you pass your classes last semester?" hissed Quinn, watching as Jess now proceeded to draw a lion on the first page of her blank notebook instead of copying down the information.

Jess just shrugged her shoulders and colored in the mane of her lion with her pen. Quinn turned back to listening to the professor and tried to ignore the girl next to her for the remainder of class.

When it concluded, Quinn shoved her books back into her bag and looked at Jess who was waiting next to her.

"Why so serious, Quinn?" asked Jess with a smirk as they left. Quinn was obviously not amused.

"Can you just skate through your whole life like that?" asked Quinn. Jess just smirked, avoiding the question. "What is your major anyway?"

"Undecided. My parents won't pay for Yale if I'm an art major. My dad wants me to go pre-law because he says I'm wasting my brains, but I'll probably just do business or something like that." Quinn just shook her head in disbelief. Jess never took life seriously and apparently her future career was part of that carefree attitude.

"Cool. I need to go to Journalism; I'll meet you for lunch afterwards?" Quinn asked as she turned to head towards her class. Jess nodded and headed off to her own class.

Derek was already in class and gestured to the seat next to him when she entered. She dropped into it and pulled out her notebook. The professor entered a minute later and immediately began scribbling on the whiteboard. Derek sighed and picked up his pen to jot down the notes.

The hour went fast. The professor was intense, but seemed to know his stuff and was really forcing them to act like they were real journalists. The syllabus was intimidating, but Quinn found herself excited about the class itself. Her stomach was growling as she bade farewell to Derek and made her way towards the dining hall.

Hayley and Jess were sitting at their normal table with a couple of other girls. Quinn dropped her bag at the table and got herself a sandwich before sitting down in the empty seat directly between Hayley and Jess. It was odd to see them in the same room without being all over one another. Jess was scowling and looking displeased by this change in their relationship, but Hayley seemed to just be ignoring her pout and was chatting to one of the other girls about her classes for the semester.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Quinn asked Jess. The brunette just flipped her off and leaned back in her seat crunching on a carrot stick. Her eyes were glued to Hayley's every movement and Quinn couldn't help but smile. Jess wanted the girl so badly but was too proud to show it. It was like being back in a room with Santana while Brittany was dating Artie.

Quinn was done with classes for the day and went back to her dorm with Jess after lunch. The brunette collapsed onto Quinn's bed instead of Hayley's after a moment of deliberation.

"Why don't you just tell her that you're done screwing around with her emotions?" asked Quinn bluntly, sitting down at her desk to check her e-mail. She smiled at the message from Rachel that informed her that her new class schedule was now available on her calendar.

"I don't know what she wants from me. She complains that I'm absent and then I show up at her freaking house, but that's not what she wants. There's no winning."

"That's bullshit, Jess. One day you're inseparable, the next day you basically ignoring her. She just wants to be sure that you're all in and it's totally justified."

Jess scowled at her, but she knew that Quinn was right.

"How the hell do you handle this crap with Rachel?"

"Having a relationship you mean?" Quinn said with a laugh.

"Well, yeah. But I mean we're usually okay when we're at school, but we fall apart when we're apart for the breaks. You guys deal with that shit most of the time."

"Mostly it's because my girlfriend is like the most organized person on the face of the planet. She just sent me her e-calendar that has all of her classes for the semester and includes dates for important projects and such so I know when she's busy. I'll send her mine and then we can kind of arrange time to talk when we're both free."

"That is the dorkiest thing I have ever heard," replied Jess. Quinn just shrugged at her.

"It works doesn't it? I got laid all break and I'm not in the doghouse now," Quinn retorted with a smirk. Jess flipped her off again. "You should talk to my friend Santana. She's good at screwing up like you are. I'll see if she wants to video chat this week."

"Thanks, Q." Quinn winked at her and opened her calendar to start updating it for Rachel.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

She e-mailed Quinn her calendar with her new class schedule and felt accomplished for the first day of classes. Second semester was more rigorous than the first, but she had most of the same instructors as she did last semester.

It was odd to not have classes with Kurt. He had left early that morning for his first class at FIT after changing his outfit a dozen times. Gabe had been trying to catch her eye throughout their morning classes, but Rachel adamantly ignored him and chose to sit with Ashlyn and a few of the other girls. She had even grabbed coffee with Ashlyn after their last class. The only time she had spent with most of the people from NYADA was by Kurt's planning, so she was really trying to build friendships without him around.

Ashlyn was a cool girl. She was ambitious, but laidback in demeanor. Unlike most of the girls, Rachel included, she was not cutthroat competitive. She was bright and was focusing more on the business side of theater rather than performance, which made Rachel feel less threatened by her.

It was dinnertime before Kurt returned to the apartment. He looked spent from his long day of classes and he dropped his bag by the door before practically falling onto the couch.

"Long day?" Rachel asked, looking up from her computer. Kurt just grunted in response. "It's definitely a take-out night," she said and tossed the menus in his direction.

She walked down the block to pick up their order while Kurt showered and returned to find him sitting at the table with two glasses of wine. She dropped the bag onto the table and they dug in.

"People were asking where you were today. We missed you in class," Rachel said quietly.

"Part of me really misses NYADA and performing, but design is what I was meant to do. My classes are so interesting and I'm finally surrounded by people that understand the importance of wardrobe," Kurt replied. Rachel gave a little giggle. Most people from Lima didn't understand Kurt's fashion sense or why it was so important, including herself.

"I'm glad you're happy, Kurt," she said earnestly. "I have a ton of work to get done though, so I'm gonna go chain myself to my desk for the rest of the night." She kissed his cheek and disappeared into her bedroom.

Quinn had e-mailed her back with the link to her own calendar and a note about video chatting that night. Rachel bit her lip in contemplation. She really wanted to talk to Quinn, but she had a group project that she needed to work on before their meeting tomorrow afternoon. She sent Quinn an e-mail saying that she couldn't tonight but that she would call quickly later to say goodnight. Sighing, she cracked open her book to start researching for her part of the project.

It was after midnight when she finally gave into her exhaustion. After her nightly routine, she got into bed and called Quinn. It went to voicemail; Quinn was probably sleeping already. She left her a message promising to make time to chat tomorrow before falling into a fitful sleep herself.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

Quinn had missed the photography studio. It wasn't a traditional classroom with their whiteboards and rows of desks. For someone who had always loved order, the studio was a fresh change from daily life. She was the first one to arrive for their first Photography II class. Choosing a table near the front, she pulled her new camera out of her bag and flipped through the pictures she had taken since Christmas.

The room slowly filled up. Some of the students were familiar faces from her class last semester and Quinn smiled warmly at them. Mr. Matthews entered the room and took his place at the front, rubbing his hands together with excitement.

"Welcome to Photography II. This is where we start to separate the people taking Photo for their general education art credit and those who truly care about the art of photography. This class is about taking artistic risks, about discovering your own style. We'll focus on technique, but more than anything we'll learn how to think like a true photographer. Photography is just as much about knowing your subject as it is about knowing how to work your camera. Consider this a class that doubles as a lesson about psychology, about relating to every day items. Today is just an opportunity to refresh yourself with your camera. By next week, I expect that you will come back with at least six prints that will mark your starting point of your semester-long portfolio. Go explore."

Some of the students sat in disbelief that their whole lesson was to go take pictures of whatever they wanted and show up next week. They signed out their cameras and filtered out of the room. A few sat and jotted down ideas before getting their cameras and heading out. Within half an hour, Quinn was the only student left in the room.

"Ms. Fabray, I'm glad to see you've returned," said Mr. Matthews with a smile, walking over to her table.

"Absolutely. I got a new camera over the break," said Quinn, gesturing to her camera sitting in front of her on the table.

"Very nice. It is a great beginner and every day camera. So why are you not out exploring with it?"

"I think I have my shots for my assignment," she said confidently. He looked intrigued so she walked over and connected the camera to one of the computers. He followed and sat down in front of it, scrolling through the hundreds of pictures Quinn had taken over the past couple of weeks.

"Very impressive, Ms. Fabray. Who is the adorable blonde princess?" he asked, pausing at a picture of Beth in her tiara and boa twirling in Shelby's hallway.

"My daughter actually." Quinn didn't offer any more information, being very used to people judging her for having a daughter at her age.

"Ah, I should have known. She has your bone structure," Mr. Matthews said simply, continuing to flip through the shots. "You have many excellent shots here. I think your assignment for the week is going to be to pick what you believe your best ones are. I'm going to take a copy of these if you don't mind and will do the same and next week we will compare and explain why we chose them."

"Yes, sir," Quinn said.

"What do you prefer to shoot?" asked Mr. Matthews.

"People I think," she responded immediately.

"You seem to be able to relate to the people in your photographs, even the ones that are obviously strangers."

"I think it's a skill you pick up when you go from the most popular girl at the top of the social hierarchy to the pregnant teenage outcast," she responded. He nodded slightly before disconnecting her camera and handing it back to her.

"Sign out a film camera for the week as well so you refresh yourself. I want to get a variety of cameras in your hands this semester if we can." Quinn was really excited about this class. "Are you taking any other photo classes this semester?"

"I'm taking this and Intro to Digital Photo," she replied.

"Excellent, with Professor Greene I presume?"

"Yes, sir."

"I will talk to him about your portfolio if you are still interested in a photo internship."

"Absolutely. I would love to be in New York for the summer." She could hardly contain her excitement at the prospect of being there with Rachel all summer.

"I will do so then. Have a lovely week, Ms. Fabray." With that, Mr. Matthews left.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Rachel got out of her afternoon class a little early, so she pulled up Quinn's schedule. She was still in her photography class for another forty-five minutes. She sighed and tossed her phone back into her bag as she walked back to her apartment.

Kurt's classes ran later than hers, so she had the apartment. She popped in the CD of the instrumental that accompanied her part for her voice lesson this weekend. Pulling the sheet music from her folder, she set it up on the stand in the living room and warmed up. The piece was easily in her range and was not much of a challenge. She was itching to write in her own artistic changes to the piece, but she knew her professor would not appreciate her creative liberties. So instead, she sang it over and over exactly how it was written until she knew Quinn was out of class.

Quinn answered on the second ring.

"Hi!" squealed Rachel excitedly at the sound of Quinn's voice.

"Hey, babe," replied Quinn.

"How was photo?"

"Amazing. Matthews is a great prof and I'm kind of doing my own assignments instead of the class ones. He looked at my pictures from break and we're going to work with some of them for my semester portfolio. He's also going to talk to my Digital Photo prof to help me build my portfolio to apply for the internships." Quinn was talking a mile a minute and was obviously really excited about her class.

"That's great, babe. Anything that will mean you can be here for the summer is perfect in my books."

"How has your first couple of days been?" Quinn asked.

"They've been pretty good. This semester is a lot more rigorous than the last one was and it's weird not having Kurt in all of my classes. I've been hanging out with Ashlyn. It's hard to make friends when everybody is constantly in competition with one another, but she's pretty down to Earth."

"I never thought that Rachel Berry would be attempting to befriend her competition," said Quinn with a laugh. "Oh, except that time that she started dating the lead from Vocal Adrenaline."

"Not funny, Quinn," pouted Rachel. "Jesse isn't that bad of a guy underneath all of his arrogance."

"He's still a pretty major prick," said Quinn. "Anyway, classes are going okay though? I couldn't believe you were working so late on the first night."

"Yeah, they're okay. I have a group meeting later, so I wanted to have my part ready and I got most of it done last night. Have you caught up with your friends?"

"Yeah. Hayley is laying down the law with Jess so Jess is a miserable bitch because she's not getting laid. She also has a new roommate who is this super shy girl named Keagan. I hung out with Derek and his roommate Jeff the other night and jammed for a while."

"Jess is like the Yale Santana it seems," stated Rachel.

"That's what I said! I told her that I'm making her video chat with Santana about her issues because it's like dealing with high school San again." Rachel laughed, thinking back to a very bitchy Santana that emerged when Brittany started dating Artie. "I should probably grab some dinner and then start on my work. Text me before you go to bed."

"Alright, Quinn. I miss you."

"Miss you too, Rach."

Rachel ended the call and sat down on the couch, holding the phone against her. It felt like the only connection to Quinn and it wasn't nearly enough after a month of being in her arms. The phone vibrated and she looked down to see a message from Kurt.

**I'm going to have dinner with a guy from my class so no need to wait for me. I'll see you later tonight.**

Rachel sighed. Last semester she at least had the same schedule as Kurt so they were always around to keep one another from thinking too much about the distance between their significant other. Now she didn't even have that. Scrolling through her contacts, she remembered the number that Quinn had programmed after their dinner the other night.

**Hey Pierce, it's Rachel from the restaurant the other night. I was wondering if you would be interested in getting coffee sometime this week.**

It was probably a long shot that he even remembered her, but she could use a friend in the city right now.

**Rachel, hey! I'd love to meet for coffee. How is Friday afternoon for you? – Pierce**

**Friday afternoon works for me. Where would you like to meet?**

**I'll text you later in the week with an address. I know a good place about half way between our campuses. Does that work?**

**Sounds great. See you Friday.**

**Cool :)**

Rachel was slightly cheered up after her texting conversation with Pierce. She rehearsed her vocal piece a few more times before heading out to her group meeting.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn was lying on Derek's bed brainstorming topics for her first Journalism assignment. Derek had already chosen to take the typical sports route like most of the boys and was just letting Quinn ramble off a million of ideas.

Someone knocked on his door and Derek called to tell them to enter. An average height brunette came into the room.

"Hey, Jamie," said Derek with a smile, turning around in his desk chair to face his girlfriend. The brunette's eyes were fixated on the blonde girl lying on her boyfriend's bed. Derek followed her gaze. "Jamie, this is Quinn. Quinn, my girlfriend Jamie."

Quinn hopped up off of the bed to shake Jamie's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Jamie," she said with her winning Fabray smile. Jamie just looked frozen in place.

"You're Quinn? The lesbian Quinn?" Jamie said in utter disbelief. Derek was now biting his lip nervously. Quinn took a deep breath before she lashed out in true head bitch fashion.

"You sound surprised that I could possibly be gay."

"I didn't mean it like that," mumbled Jamie. "It's just you're like the most beautiful girl I've ever seen and not quite what I was imagining." She paused. "That didn't make it sound any better."

"I'm just gonna go. Thanks for the help, Derek," said Quinn. She tossed her books into her bag and slid past Jamie and out the door.

She had three missed calls from Derek by the time she got back to her room. Not wanting to deal with it, she picked up her phone and dialed Santana's number.

"What's up, bitch?" greeted Santana on the other end.

"Derek's fucking girlfriend showed up while I was working in his room and got weirdly jealous because apparently I'm too pretty to be a lesbian. Like how ridiculous can you be? Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I have to wear Birkenstocks and cargo shorts."

"Whoa, chill on the Berry rambling, Q." Quinn took a deep breath and began pacing in her bedroom. "So the girl is jealous of you. I'm not sure why this is a surprise. Pretty much every girl that has ever seen you is jealous."

"Derek is my best friend at Yale though and now his stupid girlfriend is going to forbid him from hanging out with me because I'm too pretty or something."

"I think you're overreacting a little bit. He knows you're totally gay for Berry. You turned down his lame advances when you were both single. It's not like you're going to start some illicit affair now." Rationally, Santana was right. But life never seemed to be rational.

"I know Derek gets it. But Jamie doesn't and she's going to make him choose."

"Any person that doesn't choose you is a stupid fuck anyway."

"Thanks, San."

"I would say anytime, but I'd prefer you get over this insecure bullshit and act like HBIC Quinn Fabray when needed instead."

"Always the softie, aren't you?"

"Fuck off, Q."

"Miss you too, San. Tell Britts hi for me."

Santana ended the call and Quinn dropped down onto her bed with a loud sigh. Deciding that it wasn't worth it to try and salvage the night, Quinn crawled under her comforter and went to sleep.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

**Are you still doing work?**

**Call me when you're done, I'm going to be up late again tonight.**

**I guess you forgot. Night. Love you.**

Quinn had fallen asleep once again without saying goodnight to Rachel and judging by the text messages she had from her girlfriend, it wasn't appreciated on Rachel's end. She e-mailed Rachel to schedule a video chat date for that night to deal with that issue. Then it was onto getting ready to go her classes. She was going to have to see Derek in Journalism this morning and she really wasn't looking forward to it.

Jess doodled her way through psychology again and Quinn had fight with herself to pay attention. She vowed to herself that she would do all of the reading to make up for the lack of note taking.

When that class ended, she trudged along to Journalism. Derek was already in his seat looking anxious. He was clutching two paper coffee cups.

"I picked you up a cappuccino," he offered, holding one of them out to her as she sat down.

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking it and putting it on her desk. She got out her notebook and sat staring at the board, willing the professor to show up and start class at that very moment.

"Quinn, can we talk please?" pleaded Derek. She could feel his eyes piercing the side of her head.

"We're in class right now, Derek." She stated the obvious, trying to sound indifferent.

"I meant afterwards. I know you're done for the day. Have lunch with me so we can talk."

The professor walked in at that moment and Quinn sent a thank you to whoever answered her prayers to avoid answering Derek. She didn't know if she was ready to deal with whatever that situation was going to bring.

She took meticulous notes the entire class, but every now and then she could feel Derek looking at her instead of paying attention and it was driving her crazy. As soon as their professor dismissed them for the day, she grabbed her stuff and bolted for the door, hoping that Derek would get the hint that she didn't feel like doing this today.

"Quinn, wait up!" he called from behind her. She was walking briskly, but he was actually jogging, zigzagging in between people on the path until he caught up with her. "Quinn, c'mon. We're supposed to be best friends and you won't even let me apologize."

"What do you have to apologize for? The fact that you're no longer allowed to be in a room alone with me?"

"Do you hear yourself, Quinn? Do you seriously think that I would through away my friendship with you over my girlfriend being jealous because you're hotter than she thought you would be? I know you've had a tough life, but stop pushing me away when you have no reason to not trust me." Quinn spun to face him. His eyes were pleading with her but the rest of him was stony.

"What does Jamie have to say?"

"Jamie felt like a bumbling idiot. Two of the calls were her trying to get through to you."

"I just don't get why people always assume the worst in me, especially when they don't know me at all."

"It was unfair of her and I should have stood up for you. It's always bros first and you're my bro. I'm really sorry." One look at him made it obvious to Quinn that it was completely sincere. She opened her arms to him and he grinned as he moved in to give her a hug.

"Are we okay?" she asked against his chest.

"I sure hope so because I have some killer ideas for your article," he said, releasing her. "Can we try again tonight?"

"I'm kind of in the doghouse with Rachel right now, so I need to try and video chat with her tonight. Rain check?" He nodded and squeezed her shoulder affectionately before turning to leave.

Quinn ate lunch by herself quickly before schlepping to the library to catch up on the work she had been planning to do the night before. She spent the better part of the afternoon working. Eventually she packed it in and headed back to her room.

Keagan and Hayley were there and Quinn said hi and dropped her stuff before taking off for Jess' room. The tall brunette was brooding on her bed with her headphones in when Quinn entered.

"Keagan and Hayley are hanging out in my room right now," she stated.

"I obviously fucking know that, Q. Hayley stopped by and her and Keagan hit it off over some nerdy shit and then they went skipping away together."

"So you're moping around instead of joining them?" asked Quinn, shoving her over to lie down on the bed too.

"You think they're into each other?" asked Jess, avoiding Quinn's question altogether.

"Jess, I know my gaydar isn't as polished as yours, but I'm pretty sure that Keagan is straight." Quinn pulled Jess' ear bud out and stuck it into her own. Florence and the Machine started playing through it.

"You thought Hayley was straight too," retorted Jess.

"Well right now I'd pick anyone over you. You're being a whiny miserable bitch instead of proving to Hayley that you want to make it work with her." Quinn could feel Jess tense up with anger beside her; it was exactly how Santana reacted to being called out.

"What the hell am I supposed to do, Q?" Jess was being defensive, but underneath Quinn could tell that she actually wanted advice on what she should do to fix it.

"You could try actually dating her. You know, like taking her on dates that aren't to your bed or a frat party. Girls want romance when they are more than a one-night stand."

Jess didn't respond. She tapped her fingers against the wall in beat with the music as she contemplated.

"I've never dated like this. Girls fall into my lap and we have fun and it's over before it actually requires work. Do I need some ridiculous grand gesture to get her back?" Jess rolled her eyes at the prospect of having to do something over the top romantic.

"Hayley is a simple person. Start with taking her out for a nice dinner and maybe some flowers and we'll see how it goes from there. Now go down the hall and ask her before your straight roommate swoops in to steal her away." Jess leaped out of the bed at that comment. She traded her sweatpants for a pair of jeans and touched up her makeup. Taking a deep breath, she spun towards Quinn looking for approval.

"Stop being so nervous, she's still the same Hayley. Can you please just get it over with, I'm starving and I'd like to get dinner at some point tonight." Quinn popped the other ear bud into her ear and stretched out on Jess' bed absorbed in the music.

Jess returned fifteen minutes later with a big grin on her face.

"We're going out tomorrow night," she said happily. "Now, let's get you some grub."

After dinner, Quinn returned to her own room. Hayley was lying on her bed reading one of her textbooks.

"Hey, Quinn," she greeted, looking up from her book.

"Hey, Hayls. Do you mind if I Skype with Rachel? I've hardly spoken to her since we got back and I'm quickly working my way into the doghouse."

"Nah, that's fine. I can read in the lounge for a while; just text me when you're finished."

"Thanks, Hayley, I owe you one," Quinn said appreciatively.

"No you don't. You're helping Jess get her head out of her ass. I know she likes me, but she really sucks at this relationship stuff." Quinn laughed. It was true; Jess was terrible at relationships.

Hayley picked up her phone and book, slipped into her shoes, and left Quinn alone in their room. Rachel was already online when Quinn logged on. She clicked on the gold star icon next to her girlfriend's name to start the call. After a few seconds of a black screen, Rachel's face appeared. Quinn couldn't help but notice how tired she looked; she definitely wasn't her cheerful self.

"Hey, Rach," Quinn said, smiling into her own camera.

"Hi," Rachel mumbled distractedly, her attention focused on her cuticles.

"I'm sorry that I didn't call last night. I don't want to give you an excuse, but can I at least explain a little?" Rachel nodded almost imperceptibly. "I kind of got into a spat with Derek's girlfriend last night and I was heated and ended up just going to bed when I got back because I didn't want to deal with it. I should have called you at least. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I just miss you so much, Quinn. We've hardly talked since you left and Kurt is so busy with everything at FIT. I know I'm being high maintenance."

"No you're not, Rach. I haven't been there for you. I didn't even think about Kurt not being around to pick up my slack. Any chance you can visit sometime soon?"

"I could probably make it up next weekend if you want," Rachel said lacking her typical optimism on life.

"Of course I want you to, Rachel. Everything is better when you're around." Rachel's smile returned to her face, albeit weakly, at Quinn's words.

The girls caught up for almost an hour. Not being able to lay cuddled up as they talked about their days sucked, but Quinn at least had next weekend to look forward to now. She sent Rachel some of the pictures she was considering for her photo project and she helped her go through them. Kurt returned home, so Rachel said goodbye reluctantly and Quinn promised to make time to call the next day before they ended the session.

Quinn texted Hayley to tell her she was done before settling in to work on her photo portfolio. She was bringing all of them unedited so that she could get Professor Matthews' opinion before she did so. She worked until her eyes burned from staring at pictures for so long, so she pulled her finalists into a folder and saved them before shutting her laptop and getting ready for bed.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

She arrived at the café about ten minutes early and immediately spotted Pierce sitting at a table near the back. He looked so informal compared to his perfectly parted hair and tuxedo that he wore as a waiter. His blonde hair was sticking up casually like he had been running his hands through it and his polo shirt showed off his physique nicely. He grinned at her and gave a little wave as she headed to the counter to place her order.

After paying for her chai latte, she dropped into the chair across from him.

"Hey," she said almost shyly. He grinned again and showed off his perfectly straight white teeth.

"Hey, yourself. Dance class this morning?" he asked, taking in her tights and leg warmers. She nodded.

"Dance is not my specialty, but I understand that it's an integral part to make it into Broadway."

"Yeah, I'm the same way," said Pierce. "I'm more into the acting side of things. I guess technically my focus is singing, but I prefer to act in dramas rather than musicals."

"Not me, I live for musicals. My voice is everything to me." Pierce grinned at her again.

"And just based on your confidence level and obvious dedication, I bet you're damn good at it." Rachel smiled widely. Pierce was practically a complete stranger and had never even heard her sing but was complimenting her talent. The people in her own glee club had doubted her talent more than him for years.

"I'm definitely goal oriented and singing on Broadway has been my goal since I could pronounce Broadway. My dads did everything to give me a competitive edge." Rachel quickly stopped herself from sharing more, knowing that her rambling often made her annoying to others.

"Multiple dads?" he asked. It wasn't in a judgmental tone and Rachel refrained from going into her equality speech.

"My dads are gay. One is white and Jewish and the other is a black and Christian. I grew up in probably the most diverse household in Ohio."

"It definitely sounds like it. It's cool that they were so supportive of your dreams. My dad didn't think his only son should be going to college for theater. I didn't get voice or dance lessons as a kid; all of my experience came from joining clubs in school. I'm paying my own way through Tisch thanks to my job as a waiter," he said.

"I am extremely fortunate and they've done so much for me. Now I just hope that I don't let everybody down."

"I doubt you will, Rachel. I bet if I make it, my dad won't even come see my show. He didn't make one performance throughout high school or my first two years of college, so I'm sure Broadway wouldn't be any different."

"Well I'm sure my dads would adopt you in a heartbeat. They've been telling me for years that I need a friend that matches me in talent to keep me honest. I think that went along with their speech about how I need to stop trying to find an epic romance with someone I deem a leading man." She chuckled slightly. "I guess they knew before I did that I'm gay."

Pierce laughed heartily. Rachel felt self-conscious for a minute and slunk down a bit in her chair.

"You're an interesting girl, Rachel. I need to get going, but I'm going out with some friends tomorrow night if you'd like to come. It's casual, you can bring whoever you want." He gave her another toothy grin.

"That would be really nice," she replied, cheering up a bit.

"I'll text you the address later. Thanks for this; sometimes it's nice to get away from my own competitive atmosphere for a little while."

"I agree completely. I'll see you tomorrow night, Pierce." He winked at her as he pulled on his jacket and wrapped his scarf around his neck.

"See you, Rachel." And with that, he was gone.

Rachel got back to her apartment to find Kurt there for once. He was rifling through his closet and had a bunch of clothes laid out on his bed already.

"Why did I transfer to fashion school? It's so much pressure to look the part." Rachel just cocked her head at him. Even in Lima, Kurt had managed to stay up on the biggest fashion trends.

"You always look great, Kurt and you know like every fashion law. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Yeah, says the girl that is standing here in leg warmers," Kurt spat before looking up and feeling bad at the fallen expression on Rachel's face. "That was uncalled for, I'm lashing out in my anxiety to find something to wear to hang out with people that rival my own expertise."

"Big night ahead?" she asked, a little disappointed that they wouldn't be spending the evening together.

"A bunch of people are going to some club and they invited me. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun," he said, pulling yet another outfit out of the closet and adding it to the pile on the bed.

Rachel slipped out of the room and let him continue to get ready. She fell onto her own bed and hugged the bear Quinn had gotten her before they left for school. She missed Quinn and she missed having Kurt around all of the time. Rachel knew she should be used to the loneliness considering how friendless she had spent most of high school, but it sucked to be alone on a Friday night.

Looking over at her clock, she realized that Quinn would be out of her classes for the day, so she grabbed her iPhone and dialed her girlfriend.

"Hey, babe," greeted Quinn happily. "How was your date with Pierce?"

"It was merely coffee with a person that may become a platonic friend."

"I'm just teasing you, Rach. What's got you all upset?" Rachel snuggled into her bear harder. Quinn couldn't even see her and she knew something was off.

"I know it's stupid, but I'm lonely. You're far away and my dads are in Ohio and Kurt is never around anymore and he made plans for tonight with his new friends."

"Rachel, it's not stupid. If it makes you feel any better, I'm on my own tonight too since all of my friends have dates. I know it's not the same as me being there, but maybe we could video chat and watch a movie together or something," Quinn suggested.

"You're the best, Quinn," said Rachel, smiling into her pillow at how thoughtful her girlfriend can be.

"I know that," Quinn said jokingly. "I'm in the studio working on my photography project though. I'll text you later so we can figure out a time for our cyber date."

"Alright. I love you, Quinnie."

"Love you too, Rach."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

It was Friday afternoon and everybody else was planning their evenings out. Quinn had just made plans with Rachel via the internet for the night and was looking forward to a quiet night in talking to her girlfriend.

Right now, she was in the empty studio. The studio had quickly become one of her favorite places at Yale. She had made prints of about twenty-five of her favorite pictures from winter break. Professor Matthews wanted her to get the collection down to a dozen for next class. On top of it, she needed to work on her assignment for Digital Photo as well. Professor Greene had obviously talked to Professor Matthews before her class that morning.

They had gotten their cameras and had spent the majority of the time learning how to use them. It was pretty similar to Quinn's, but she sat and followed along mindlessly as other students fumbled with the complex camera.

Once they were released to practice, which basically entailed taking random pictures and trying to not make them blurry, Professor Greene approached Quinn's table.

"You're Quinn Fabray, right?" he asked cordially. Quinn nodded her head politely as she gathered up her notes. "Mr. Matthews had very kind words to say about you. He said you're interested in trying to get a photography internship in New York for the summer."

"That's correct, sir. He had discussed an internship in photojournalism," Quinn replied.

"Is that the only field you're looking to work in for the summer?" he asked, sitting down in front of her.

"Not necessarily. Anything that would keep me out of Ohio for the summer would be ideal and I' really like to be in New York with my friends."

"I know a lot of people in New York that work in all different branches of photography. I told Mr. Matthews that I would help work on your portfolio as well. He really believes you hold a huge potential for this as a career, Quinn."

"I really love photography but my parents aren't going to pay for Yale if I major in an art field."

"You don't have to major in it to consider it as a future career. You'll have your English degree to fall back on, but if you love photography we can make it happen. With that being said, we need to get rolling on your portfolio because internship deadlines are right around the corner. We'll start with your general portfolio and then we can specialize it for different applications based on what they focus on. I know you're used to a digital camera, but we'll refine your skill there. Mr. Matthews is going to focus on your other camera skills. He told me you have a lot of great shots, so we'll start there."

"Thank you for your help, sir."

"It's hard to not get sucked into helping a student that shows great promise, Ms. Fabray. I'm going to meet with Mr. Matthews after your class with him on Tuesday and then we'll discuss what we are going to focus on with your portfolio. I'll e-mail you next week to meet."

"Thanks again, sir. I will see you next week." They shook hands and Quinn left the room with her camera in hand.

She still had a few hours of daylight left, so she dropped her bags off in her room before taking off with her camera in hand. The cold, gray January weather kept most people bustling along the sidewalks, but Quinn strolled casually as she looked for good shots. It was getting dark by the time she gave into the cold and headed to the dining hall to grab dinner before talking to Rachel.

Quinn got her food to go and was camped out on the floor of her dorm room when her computer rang from Rachel trying to connect with her. She accepted the call and placed the laptop on the floor in front of her, its screen filled with Rachel's face. She was freshly showered with her long, wet hair falling over the shoulders of her oversized Gap sweatshirt. A radiant smile greeted her when her own face must have shown up on Rachel's screen.

"You look beautiful, Quinn," said Rachel in lieu of a greeting. Quinn glanced down at her plain black long sleeved shirt and lilac scarf draped around her neck.

"Uh, thanks. You look adorable as always," replied Quinn. Rachel's giant sweatshirt made her look even more petite than usual.

"How were your classes?" asked Rachel.

"Psych and Journalism were fine and boring as always. Digital Photo was pretty easy because I know a lot of the basics already, but I talked to my professor for a while about my portfolio and internship opportunities."

"Does it sound promising?" inquired Rachel with interest.

"We haven't gotten too much into it but apparently I show great promise and my professors have a lot of connections beyond photojournalism."

"Is it really a surprise that Quinn Fabray has promise at something? You're the best at practically everything you try," said Rachel sincerely.

"I'm not the best singer I know," said Quinn in reply, a grin creeping onto her face. "Some diva once told me that I'm occasionally sharp because I lack her training."

Rachel's expression was priceless. Her mouth was agape, a reply failing her. She could remember the exact moment she had tossed that particular insult at Quinn. Granted, Quinn was still a bitch to her on a regular basis at that point in life, but it was still a mean blow.

"Rach, I'm just joking with you. I'd be worried if my voice was as good as yours with all of your passion and training." Rachel's shoulders relaxed slightly, but she still looked embarrassed. "I tortured you for so long and you're worried that you hurt my feelings over one of the few times that you actually pushed me back? You're seriously like the most caring person I know, Rachel. Now what movie are we watching?"

It wasn't the same as actually cuddling up on the couch alongside Rachel, but it was the closest they could get and Quinn enjoyed glancing up from the movie to see Rachel's face focusing on her own TV screen, her eyes lighting up at her favorite parts. By the time the credits were rolling, Rachel was visibly yawning and her eyes were fighting to stay open.

"You need to get some sleep, babe," said Quinn, rubbing her own eyes.

"Will you come cuddle with me?" asked Rachel hopefully.

"Next weekend babe. There's no way to avoid cuddling in a little twin-sized bed."

"There's no way to avoid cuddling with me when I've been separated from you for two weeks anyway," replied Rachel. Quinn laughed.

"Get some sleep. I love you, babe."

"Love you too."

Quinn disconnected the call and crawled under her comforter, pulling her extra pillow against her body and wishing it was the brunette's warm body. Eighty miles away, Rachel was doing the same exact thing.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

"Is he straight?" Kurt was sitting on Rachel's bed as she picked out an outfit for the night out. She had convinced Ashlyn and Kurt to come with her to meet up with Pierce and his friends.

"Undetermined." She held up a skirt for his approval and he shook his head. With a sigh, she hung it back up and continued rifling.

"Well, I'll figure it out tonight. And just let me pick, I'm sick of turning down everything you pull out of that closet. I thought Quinn had gotten rid of all of your tasteless outfits."

"She only won the battles about animal sweaters. I got to keep all of the skirts," said Rachel.

"Ugh I don't want to know about Quinn Fabray's Sapphic fantasies," said Kurt, wrinkling his nose. Flipping through for another couple of minutes, he extracted a skirt and blouse and handed them to her. "I need to get dressed myself."

He left the room with a little skip and Rachel slipped into the outfit he had picked before touching up the curls in her hair and doing her makeup. The intercom buzzer went off and Kurt yelled that he would get it. Rachel finished her makeup as the front door opened and Kurt squealed.

She entered the living room to find Kurt with his arms around Ashlyn and the two of them were laughing happily. Ashlyn shrugged off her jacket and Kurt spun her around to take in her outfit. She earned his approval immediately.

"Rachel, you're surrounded by fabulously dressed people. It has to rub off on you sometime," commented Kurt, still eying Ashlyn's outfit.

"She looks fantastic right now, Kurt," said Ashlyn, smiling at Rachel.

"I dressed her of course! She has so much potential but she doesn't seem to listen to my lessons on fashion," Kurt moved to the kitchen and grabbed three wine glasses and a bottle out of the fridge.

They still had a while until they were due to meet Pierce so Rachel accepted her glass from Kurt and relaxed onto the couch. She had really missed Kurt this week, but it felt good to be hanging out again. The three of them had killed most of the bottle by the time that they had to leave. Rachel was sporting a comfortable buzz as they walked to the subway entrance and she walked with her arm linked in Kurt's.

Pierce was sitting at a table with a few people and he waved when he saw Rachel get past the bouncer at the front door. She led Ashlyn and Kurt over to him and he stood, flashing his flawless smile. Rachel could practically feel Kurt swoon beside her. Pierce leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and proceeded to introduce his friends. Rachel introduced Kurt and Ashlyn and he pulled over some chairs for them to join the table.

"Can I get you a drink?" Pierce asked, clinking the ice in his empty glass. Rachel stood up to join him at the bar. She ordered for herself and her friends and Pierce got his own drink refilled. She glanced at the table to see Kurt's gaze fixed on Pierce's back and let out a chortle. Kurt had obsessions with determining the sexuality of cute boys and Pierce seemed to be his new target.

Ashlyn was chatting with one of Pierce's guy friends and within minutes they moved onto the dance floor together. Rachel sat down next to one of the girls and started talking to her, keeping her eye on Kurt, who had struck up a conversation with Pierce.

As the night wore on and they kept the drinks going, they took over the dance floor, joining Ashlyn and Pierce's friend. Kurt grabbed her hand and pulled her in to dance with him and she let herself get lost in the moment, letting loose and moving with him. Pierce was dancing with one of his friends close by and Rachel noticed that his eyes kept flitting towards Kurt.

"Pierce is setting off my gaydar," she said into Kurt's ear. He pulled back and grinned at her with a knowing smile. With ease he spun them so that her back was to Pierce and he was facing the blonde boy. Their eyes met for a brief moment and a blush worked its way up Pierce's pale skin, making Kurt giggle.

"He's still a little bit in denial, but totally gay," said Kurt confidently, swinging his hips in time with the music and keeping his hand firmly on Rachel's waist, making her move with him. "He had a perfect complexion though. You seem to attract pretty blondes." Rachel smiled at him and pulled him towards the bar for a refill.

It was nearly three in the morning when the bar announced last call. Ashlyn had already left with Pierce's friend. Rachel threw her arms around Pierce's neck in a drunken farewell. The blonde boy's hair was disheveled from the hours of dancing and Rachel ruffled it affectionately as she pulled away.

Kurt was waiting by the door with her coat and purse in hand. He helped her into the coat and she linked her arm with his as they walked out the door.

It was snowing softly yet steadily as they walked along the sidewalk. Flakes stuck to her silky dark hair and she tilted her chin up to the sky, tongue sticking out. Kurt laughed as she squealed in pleasure when she caught a snowflake on the tip of her tongue.

"Life is perfect," she breathed, tightening her grip on Kurt's arm. She had made it to New York with her best friend beside her. The most beautiful girl she'd ever met was in love with her. All of her dreams were coming true.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Get your ass up, we're going out." Jess was hovering over Quinn's shoulder with her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"No," said Quinn, her eyes still fixed on the picture of Beth that was up on her computer screen.

"You can stare at your cousin later, I need to dance and get drunk," Jess said, on the verge of whining.

"She's mine," Quinn said quietly, flipping to the next photo.

"Huh?" responded Jess, obviously confused.

"Beth is my daughter," said Quinn nonchalantly, studying the two year-old's innocent face.

"Whoa. Now I definitely need a drink and you have a helluva lot of explaining to do, Fabray." Jess pulled a beer from Quinn's fridge, popped it open and swallowed a large gulp before turning expectantly towards Quinn. "Spill."

Quinn sighed, but retelling her messy past didn't hurt the way it once had. Painful tears had fallen the night she had confided in Derek on that bench in the middle of campus. Giving up Beth was no longer her biggest regret. She was in her daughter's life for good this time, Beth was getting the best possible life, and Quinn was getting a second chance to live hers.

Jess made surprisingly few remarks as Quinn filled her in on everything surrounding Beth: lying to Finn about being the father, sleeping with Puck, Rachel being the only person that seemed to care about her, her breaking Rachel when she let Shelby have Beth, then her and Rachel bonding because they were the only two other than Puck that understood the pain surrounding the situation with Beth.

"You know, I thought you were crazy for dating a high-maintenance diva long distance like you do, but she can deal with all of your crazy, maybe you are made for one another."

"I wouldn't have gotten here without her." She sat down on her bed next to Jess and let the brunette's arm wrap around her shoulder. Quinn used to make it a top priority to not let people in, but Rachel had managed to break away the walls that had protected her for so many years.

"I still want to go out tonight; Hayley is having bestie time with Keagan in my room right now," Jess said, the pathetic whine in her voice making Quinn smirk.

"Fine, but this isn't going to be one of those nights where you prey on every girl in the room. However, I'll text Rachel now and you can put your frustrations into dancing with me and making everybody jealous instead."

"Can we make out?" Jess asked and was greeted by Quinn's icy glare. "Jeez, I was just kidding!" she said quickly, throwing her hands up in surrender.

Quinn changed out of her sweatpants into a simply black top and jeans and touched up her makeup. Jess tossed her a pair of black pumps from the bottom of her closet and they were ready to go. Quinn sent Rachel a quick text to avoid the jealous rage that might result from pictures later on and followed Jess rather begrudgingly out the door.

Jess led Quinn into a house that she had never been to, but the décor screamed college boys' residence. The main room had practically nothing in it but the makeshift DJ booth in the corner. People were everywhere, most of them clutching red cups of cheap beer. Many were dancing in the empty room and Quinn smirked while watching the guys that were trying to hit on drunken girls. Their beer was sloshing over the rims of their cups as they danced and flirted shamelessly.

This was the epitome of a college weekend, even at an Ivy League school. There were movies showing epic parties and she knew her friends looked forward to going away to college just for the craziness that was rumored to occur. Quinn just laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

Jess took her hand and led her through the house in search of the keg. Within two minutes, the brunette had flirted her way to the front of the line and they were holding red cups like everybody else. Quinn took a large gulp to keep hers from spilling before Jess dragged her back to the front room to dance.

It wasn't long before she felt the hungry eyes on them. Quinn was used to attention; she had spent most of her life being reminded that she was pretty. Jess didn't have Quinn's old Hollywood looks, but she dripped sex appeal much like Santana always did. She moved closer until her thigh was between Quinn's legs and her hips were gyrating perfectly in time with the rhythm of the song. Jess' empty hand snaked around Quinn's waist and planted itself firmly on Quinn's lower back, keeping their bodies close together. It was impossible to not find Jess a little attractive and Quinn felt a little bit guilty for enjoying the attention and the feeling of Jess moving against her. She didn't give Quinn the amazing butterflies that one touch from Rachel gave her, but the way that Jess' hip movements were affection the blonde made it hard for her to deny that she was, in fact, gay.

Jess leaned her face in closer, stooping down a little bit so that her warm breath was against Quinn's ear. It made the hairs on Quinn's neck stand up and she could feel herself blushing at the close proximity.

"You look sexy, Q," said Jess, her voice deep and her breath smelling of beer. Quinn pulled her face back and glared at Jess.

"Sanford, don't push me," growled Quinn, forcing Jess to loosen her grip on her waist. Jess attempted to look shamed, but she was biting her lip and trying to hide a grin. "I'm not doing this shit with you, Jess." Quinn chugged the rest of the beer in her hand and stormed away.

A guy wearing a backwards Red Sox hat refilled her cup for her and she thanked him quickly and made her escape before he could get the wrong idea. She stood along the side of the front room, her eyes scanning for Jess. Quinn figured the brunette would have just moved in on the first girl to catch her eye once she had left, but Jess wasn't in sight.

"I'm sorry." Quinn jumped at the person talking into her ear from behind her. Quinn spun around angrily to find Jess standing there, her hands shoved into her pockets and her shoulders slumped in an uncharacteristic slouch.

"Do you still have feelings for me?"

"Quinn…"

Quinn rolled her eyes and made a beeline for the front door.

"Quinn, wait!" Jess was right behind her as the blast of cold air hit her. She kept walking, hardly noticing the falling snow. "Quinn, please." She was practically begging now.

Quinn stopped and spun towards the girl, her eyes still fiery.

"Are you just trying to fuck with me until I slip up and ruin everything I have with Rachel? Are you just using Hayley? What is it, Jess?"

"I'm not trying to steal you away from Rachel."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Look, Q, I'm not going to sit her and lie to you and tell you I don't wish that things were different. You're the coolest person I know, but I care about you enough to respect your relationship." Jess looked vulnerable. She rarely let her walls down, but right now she was letting Quinn inside.

"Then why do you have to go and ruin things? I'm trying to help you not fuck it up with Hayley, but then you think you can go ahead and flirt shamelessly with me because I'm babysitting you at a party?"

"I'm never going to be good enough for Hayley anyway," mumbled Jess, her gaze falling to her feet as they shuffled through the thin layer of snow on the sidewalk.

"That's not true, but you're not exactly putting much effort into trying to grow up and be in a real relationship with her because you're too busy telling other girls they look sexy as you grind your hips into them instead of showing Hayley you want to spend time with her, even if it means a lame girls' night with her and Keagan!" Jess looked up at Quinn. Her hands were on her hips now in her typical attack stance.

"You weren't exactly pushing me away," Jess spat back.

"Ugh, whatever, Jess. I don't know why I bothered trying to help you. You're right, you don't deserve someone like Hayley." Quinn walked away, leaving Jess standing with the snow falling down on her while tears filled her eyes.

She got ready for bed and texted Rachel to say goodnight before climbing into her bed, snuggling up under the comforter. Jess' words resonated in her head. She had enjoyed dancing with Jess until her friend had pushed it just a little bit too far. Rachel was out with her friends having a good time and she was just doing the same. She knew she hadn't actually done anything wrong, but she spent a long time lying in her bed staring at the ceiling with Jess' retort floating through her mind.

Hayley came tiptoeing a while later and Quinn was still lying awake. She listened as her roommate got ready for bed and crawled into her own bed with a sigh.

"Hayls?" she said softly.

"Sorry, Quinn, I didn't mean to wake you," she said apologetically in response.

"You didn't, I can't sleep. Can we talk?"

"Of course." She heard her roommate get out of bed and pad across the room before nudging Quinn and climbing into her bed next to her.

"It's about Jess. And me I guess. I don't know." She didn't even know what she wanted to talk about, but she knew Hayley would be levelheaded and listen to her jumbled thoughts.

"Did you guys have a fight? She was kind of cranky when I said I was going to stay in with Keagan instead of hanging out with her."

"Yeah, sort of. It's partly my fault. How much did Jess tell you about the girl that she was hung up on when you first started hooking up?"

"Not much. She just said that I had nothing to worry about because the other girl was completely unavailable and she was moving on. Why?" Hayley didn't seem at all concerned about Jess' actions despite her previous scandalous ways.

"She was talking about me," Quinn said before she lost her nerve. "Nothing ever happened, I was already on board with Rachel before I even got to Yale. Jess never really tried to hide it from me though and I thought it died when you guys started your situation."

"And it hasn't died?" Hayley asked hesitantly.

"We were dancing at a party tonight and it was probably more provocative that either of us should have been allowing considering the situation, but then she kind of verbally flirted and I got angry."

"Are you upset that she flirted with you or that you let it get that far?" Quinn felt herself shrink away from Hayley a little bit. Her roommate had hit the nerve already.

"I'm not sure. I feel guilty because I was enjoying it, but then all of a sudden it felt so wrong. Then we were outside arguing and she called me out for not shutting her down like I wanted something to happen." Quinn pulled the comforter up to her chin, trying to build a cocoon around herself for protection.

"Quinn, it's not like you cheated on Rachel if that's what you're worried about."

"I know I didn't physically, but what if I had been past my first beer and I hadn't stopped her once she started flirting?"

"Why do I have a feeling this guilt is coming from some past insecurity?" Quinn sighed loudly and buried her face into her pillow. "I think I found the problem," said Hayley, forcing Quinn to roll back into her and put her arm around her blatantly upset roommate.

"Don't judge me for what I'm going to tell you," Quinn whispered. It was bad enough telling Jess everything today, but now she was going to have to give an abridged version at least again.

"Quinn.." Hayley said, her voice full of warmth.

"I had a rough time in high school and Rachel kids around about me being the ice queen head cheerleader. It was weird, I had everything that any high school girl could want: money, popularity, quarterback boyfriend. Yet somehow I ended up sleeping with my boyfriend's best friend and next thing I knew I was having his baby."

"Oh my gosh." It was all that Hayley could manage as she processed this information.

"We didn't keep her. Rachel's biological mother adopted her actually so it's all kinds of weird. But that was the beginning of my track record as the world's worst girlfriend. I just care about Rachel in a way that I never cared for my boyfriends, but I know I have the capability to lose my self-control and I don't ever want to hurt her the way I hurt those guys."

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but that'll be enough to keep you from ever messing up like that. You stopped Jess for a reason, Quinn. Rachel was the missing piece in your life and now that you have it, I know you're not going to let it go."

"How do you understand me so well?" Quinn whispered, finally relaxing into Hayley's caring arm.

Hayley didn't answer. She just held Quinn as the blonde girl let her exhaustion take over.

It was mid-morning when their dorm door creaked open. Quinn stirred slightly and felt Hayley's thin arm lying protectively across her stomach.

"Oh. Sorry." Jess' voice rang out loud in the silent room. Hayley stirred against Quinn and glanced towards the door, taking a few moments for her eyes to adjust.

"Morning," she croaked, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"I'll just leave you guys alone. Catch you later." Jess fumbled with the keys in her hands awkwardly for a minute before turning and leaving the room.

"What was that about?" groaned Quinn, who was still refusing to open her eyes.

"I think Jess is jealous about us sleeping together," said Hayley with a little laugh. Quinn could hear the hurt in Hayley's voice behind her laughter. She had found out that the girl she was dating had feelings for her roommate and she honestly didn't know if Jess was jealous over seeing Quinn with a girl in her bed or over the fact that Hayley was cuddled up with someone besides her.

"Go talk to her." Quinn said it as more of a command than a suggestion.

"Quinn, I can't." Hayley burrowed back into Quinn's shoulder.

"Yes, you can. The two of you need to talk and actually be upfront and honest. Call her on her bullshit. Get mad and yell at one another. Your sexual tension is suffocating and I know she cares about you and you obviously like her, but neither of you are actually dealing with it."

"Wow, you really can be head ice bitch," said Hayley with a real giggle this time. Quinn shoved her over, forcing her out of the bed so she could go talk to Jess. "Thanks, Quinn."

"Thanks for last night, Hayls." With that, Quinn heard the door open and close as Hayley took off after Jess and she rolled over and went back to sleep.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Rachel was trying to keep her eyes closed because she was pretty sure her head would split open in pain if she experienced sunlight right now. She pulled her blanket up over her head and tried to ignore the incessant throbbing that had taken up residence at her temple.

Her phone went off on her nightstand and she groaned loudly, swinging an arm out wildly to silence it. She got a grip on it and pried open one eye to see who was texting her this early in the morning.

**If you're feeling like I'm feeling, you totally need to come to Sunday brunch with me. – Pierce**

Rachel contemplated if breakfast food and mimosas was worth leaving the warmth of her bed for.

**Believe me, it's totally worth it.**

It was like he had read her mind. With a long stretch of her limbs, she threw the duvet off of her and got out of the bed, immediately heading towards the bathroom for a couple of aspirin. Kurt's bedroom door was open and he was sprawled across his bed wearing pajama pants and his shirt from last night, which would probably result in a diva fit later when he realized that he let it get wrinkled. Rachel just smiled and headed for the shower so she could meet up with Pierce.

She left Kurt a note on the counter before she left for brunch. The place he had picked was a small place in the East Village and he was already sitting sipping on a bloody mary when she showed up. She kissed him on the cheek in greeting before settling into the chair across from him. He looked like he had a rough night with the bags under his eyes and his hair was completely untamed. He was wearing an NYU sweatshirt and jeans and looking like the drink in his hand was the only thing holding him together.

"Bloody marys are the only cure for a Sunday morning," he said, taking another long sip and beckoning the waiter. He ordered another drink and Rachel ordered a mimosa before turning to her menu. "Did you have fun last night?"

"Yeah, I had a blast. Thanks for inviting me out," she said, smiling genuinely at her newest friend.

"I'm glad. Kurt seems like a fun guy. You guys went to high school together, right?" Rachel tried to judge his question to see if it was merely conversational or if there was hidden meaning to his inquiry about Kurt.

"Yeah, he was in glee with me. His boyfriend was too but he's a year younger than us so he's still finishing up but he'll probably be in New York next year. He applied to NYADA." The visible drop in his expression at the mention of Blaine solidified Rachel's suspicions. Pierce was digging Kurt.

Pierce was right; brunch did make Rachel feel a lot better. By the time they said goodbye, the pounding behind her eyes had subsided and her mood had improved drastically.

Kurt was sitting on the couch clutching a mug of coffee and watching reruns of America's Next Top Model when she got back. He had showered and changed into his loungewear that somehow managed to look just as uncomfortable as the rest of his wardrobe. She flopped down beside him, figuring a couple of episodes to procrastinate her homework was completely acceptable.

"I think Pierce likes you," she said conversationally at a commercial break. Kurt arched an eyebrow, silently questioning you. "He asked about you vaguely at brunch and seemed disheartened when I brought up Blaine."

Kurt seemed very interested, which wasn't really surprising due to his nature as a gossip queen.

"That boy has fantastic cheekbones and the most adorable smile." Rachel gave him a funny look. "What, I'm not allowed appreciate fine specimen?"

"How do you think Blaine would feel about it?" she asked seriously.

"I don't call Blaine to tell him every time I see an attractive man. It's just nature and it's not like I'm cheating on him or even considering it," retorted Kurt. Rachel just shrugged at his defensiveness and turned the volume up on the show.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Gosh, you girls are so dramatic." Jeff was sitting on his bed and Quinn was cross-legged on Derek's bed, her guitar on her lap. Derek had left to deal with something with Jamie and Quinn was retelling the tale of her and Jess' latest brawl.

"I thought this shit was supposed to end after high school," she replied with a shrug. "I should have known better I guess."

"Whatever, you can escape and come hang out with the bros. Now let me teach you a song that wasn't written by Taylor Swift or some other dramatic girl."

Quinn played with Jeff for a few hours and finally said goodbye so that she could go work on her journalism paper since it was obvious that Derek wasn't going to be around to work with her. Hayley wasn't in the room when she got back, so Quinn put on her playlist of glee club songs and cracked open her book as Rachel's voice emanated from her speakers.

She was in the zone and was halfway done with her paper when Jess entered the room.

"Seriously, you're listening to your girlfriend's voice on repeat, Q?" Her signature smirk was plastered on her face.

"What do you want, Jess?" Quinn replied, not even bothering to look away from her paper.

"I just wanted to see if we were cool after last night. I was a jerk."

"Is this your pathetic roundabout way of saying you're sorry?" said Quinn, her voice cold and void of emotion.

"I pushed it too far." Jess was still avoiding apologizing because in reality she knew all she did was speak truths that Quinn didn't want to hear.

"You're not worth me fucking up with Rachel." Quinn glanced over at Jess, who was still standing in the doorway, looking a little afraid to cross the threshold into Quinn's domain.

"I know that. And I know you that you felt like you were wronging her by having fun with me, but you've gotta know that you'd never do that to Rachel. High school boys are one thing, but I'm sure that you don't listen to them and smile as you do your homework."

"You know that nothing happened between Hayley and I, right? I was upset and she was comforting me and we just fell asleep like that."

"Yeah, I know. I was just being insecure and stupid this morning. Her and I are taking some time to make sure that this is what we really want. I never thought I'd say this, but I hate being single." Quinn couldn't help but laugh. Jess was smiling sheepishly, her hands finding refuge in her back pockets.

She walked over and laid on her stomach on Quinn's bed, tucking a pillow under her chin. Rachel voice singing "Here's To Us" was filling the room and Jess' eyes closed as she listened.

"That girl has some chops," she commented. "I bet all of those crazy singing breathing techniques get put to good use in bed." Quinn scoffed in embarrassment, her blush creeping up her neck. Thankfully Jess wasn't looking at her.

"This is nothing. Listen to this." Quinn scrolled through the playlist and soon "Don't Rain on My Parade" was blasting from the speakers.

"She's going places, Q. This is already like listening to a Broadway soundtrack. Not that I do that."

"She sang this to win us our first competition in sophomore year as a last minute performance." Quinn's voice swelled with pride at the memory. She had despised Rachel's existence that day simply because Finn was drooling at the sight of her on that stage completely in her element. But she never tried to deny that Rachel was the most talented person she had ever known.

"Well ride her coattails to fame. She'll look damn good on your arm as she walks the red carpet and we all know you photograph well when you're not busy trying to melt people with your laser eyes." Quinn laughed appreciatively. Jess was just as bad as Santana with apologies and she knew this was Jess' way of saying she was sorry.

"Thanks, I think. I need to get this done though. Why don't you go bond with Keagan or something?" Jess rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I'm pretty sure she's terrified of me, but since you insisted, I will try to not make her piss her pants in my presence." Jess pulled herself off the bed and sashayed out of the room, leaving Quinn to finish her work with only Rachel's voice as company.

Derek texted her late in the afternoon to apologize for disappearing on her this morning. She made plans with him to meet at the coffee shop after dinner so they could proofread one another's papers.

She hadn't heard from Rachel all day, so she dialed the brunette's number instead of returning to her work. Rachel picked up on the last ring and sounded really groggy.

"Were you sleeping?" asked Quinn. It was just after four in the afternoon and Rachel rarely napped unless she was sick.

"Mmm, yeah. I'm still recovering from last night," she mumbled into the phone.

"Oh, well I'll let you go then. I just wanted to see how the rest of your weekend was," said Quinn, a little disappointed.

"Are you trying to say that you miss me, Quinn Fabray?" teased Rachel. "I'm awake now anyway. How was your weekend, babe?"

"It was alright. I told Jess and Hayley about Beth. Jess and I got into a fight. You know, the usual." Quinn did her best to sound nonchalant, but guilt was sweeping over her once again.

"What did you fight with Jess about?" Rachel asked. The concern in her voice made Quinn's guilt double.

"Her flirting with me." She hesitated and Rachel stayed silent, waiting for Quinn to elaborate. "We were dancing together and I was enjoying myself, probably more than I really should have. But then she told me that I looked sexy and I freaked out. I'm sorry, Rachel, I shouldn't have been in the situation in the first place. We all know how bad my record is."

"Did the thought of going home with her even cross your mind?" asked Rachel after a long moment of silence.

"Of course not," replied Quinn without a hint of doubt in her voice.

"Then we have nothing to worry about. I know you have trouble believing me since we both know I can be quite the jealous girlfriend, but I trust you, Quinn."

"Thanks, Rach. I'm not sure what I did to deserve you."

"All you needed to do was love me like nobody else has. Are you and Jess okay now?"

"She's worse at apologizing than Santana, but we'll be okay." Rachel laughed.

"That is pretty impressive considering that the word sorry does not exist in Santana's vocabulary." Quinn laughed in agreement.

"How was your weekend?" Quinn inquired, her mood considerably lighter having told Rachel the truth.

"Pretty fantastic actually. Pierce and his friends are so much and we went to this bar and danced all night. Ashlyn left with one of his guy friends and called me earlier to tell me that they hooked up. I had brunch with Pierce this morning and I'm pretty sure he has a crush on Kurt. Kurt finds him aesthetically pleasing and seemed starry-eyed about it and got defensive when I said that Blaine probably wouldn't appreciate the fact that Kurt obviously has some affection for another guy. Oh, and I'm thankful that I don't have a voice lesson tomorrow because the shots last night have given me quite a sore throat."

"Please never change," said Quinn simply. It had been a while since she had heard a real Rachel Berry rant and she had forgotten how incredibly adorable it was.

"You know, you used to tell me that you wanted to punch me every time I opened my mouth and now you're telling me to never change. I'm getting mixed signals," Rachel said, trying to sound serious but unable to keep the amusement out of her voice.

"I love you, Rach."

"Love you too. I should probably get out of bed and do some homework. I'll call you tonight."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn walked into the photography studio on Tuesday feeling confident. She had spent hours pouring over her pictures, determined to find the absolute best ones for this assignment.

Mr. Matthews greeted them and lectured for about twenty minutes at the beginning of class. Quinn dutifully took notes, but her mind was on presenting him what she had come up with for her assignment. When he dismissed the class to work, her classmates partnered up and began to work on the computers. She sat, unmoving, at her table and after he walked around to make sure the other students were on the right track, he pulled a chair up in front of her and smiled warmly.

"So what do you have for me, Miss Fabray?" he asked, reaching for the portfolio she had clutched in her fingers. She nervously passed it to him, her hands clammy. It was a small assignment, but it felt like something so much larger to her. This was the first test in seeing if she had what it would take to make it as a photographer and for the first time, Quinn realized how much she really wanted this.

Mr. Matthews was silent for a few minutes as he laid out the twelve prints Quinn had chosen. He rearranged them a few times on the table until they were in three rows. Once satisfied, he walked over to his desk and pulled a board from beside it and carried it over to the table. She saw that he had pinned a dozen of her pictures to it in three rows as well.

"Let's compare, shall we?" She noticed that the top left picture in both set-ups was the one of Beth twirling in her tutu and tiara. "You had a ton of great shots, Quinn, but I found myself being pulled back to the ones you took of your daughter constantly." Quinn nodded her agreement. Beth was easily her favorite subject to shoot.

"I feel the same, but I didn't know if it was for sentimental reasons or not," Quinn replied softly.

"You capture her innocence well, but it's more than that." He gestured at another shot that he had selected that was in the middle of his second row. "This one of her staring right at the camera made me feel like she was trying to discover the person holding it."

"She probably is. I gave her up for adoption and I'm only starting to get the chance to know her. That was from the first time I had her completely by myself without her adoptive mom or her biological dad around." It was weird to Quinn. She had always been a polite kid that got along well with adults, but she had never opened up to them in this way. It was like her photographs were pulling out her emotions for everyone to see and for some reason it felt liberating.

"This is what photography is about, Quinn. You're telling a story without the words." His comment intrigued Quinn. She had never thought of photography like that, but it completely made sense. Quinn had so much that she wanted to tell and she loved to write, but so often she couldn't find the right words. Photography was different. She didn't have to tell the explicit details, but it still had the ability to evoke certain emotions when viewed.

They sat and went through the rest of the shots she had picked. She noticed that they had eight pictures in common. They discussed those first, Mr. Matthews commenting on what he saw in them and Quinn explaining the back-story.

When they finished those eight, they took a break and Mr. Matthews walked around to help the rest of the class before giving them next week's assignment and dismissing them for the day. When he returned, Quinn was looking at the four remaining pictures that were in her bottom row.

"For these ones, I want you to tell me what you saw in them first." Quinn nodded and tapped her fingers meaningfully against the edge of the desk as she studied the shots.

"This one," she said, pointing to the one at the right end, "you need to know Puck to fully understand it, I suppose. Puck was our high school man-whore and resident delinquent."

"I had similar opinions taking in his choice of attire and the mohawk. There is more to this Puck gentleman though, I believe." Quinn smiled warmly taking in Puck's face. It wasn't smiling and it was looking off to the right beyond the camera. You could see in his eyes pure adoration despite his locked jaw, awful haircut, and leather jacket.

"Puck is Beth's dad. He and I were never really serious, but we created her together. Puck wanted to keep her and he actually is the one who named her, but I knew we couldn't handle being parents yet and I made the decision for both of us despite knowing it's not what he wanted." Quinn paused. "I guess that makes it obvious. He's looking at Beth out of the frame."

"The difference between photography and writing is this, Miss Fabray. I didn't know who this young man was, but I was able to come up with a story for him by looking at this. I can see his struggle of maintaining his image while never letting his love waver. It doesn't matter what was causing that for him, because we can all relate to it in our own way. When you write a story, you build the characters and tell people what they are feeling. With photography, you give somebody the inspiration to see their own story through your object."

Quinn understood what Mr. Matthews was saying. Every person looking at that photo would view Puck a little bit differently. Some would know him as well as Quinn did. Others, like Mr. Matthews, didn't know him at all. But that didn't mean that they didn't understand the story. It just might not be the one that was in her head when she saw the shot.

An hour later, they finally had gotten through the rest of her shots and the four that Mr. Matthews had picked. She had swept them back into the portfolio and looked at him expectantly for the next part of her assignment.

"You could be great at this, Miss Fabray. Take as many pictures as you can this week. But all of your pictures must be of people. Some of strangers, acquaintances, best friends. Take candid shots, take poised shots. You are good at finding angles and playing with light, but I think your real gift is in photographing people. I'll see you next week, Quinn."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Rach, you promised." Quinn knew she was being whiny, but she didn't care.

"Babe, it's for school. I know I said I'd come to New Haven, but I need to see this performance and it's only on Friday night."

"Why is it so important?" Quinn asked, not really caring about the answer except that this stupid play was keeping Rachel from visiting like she was supposed to.

"Quinn, this group is asking me to join. They are one of the most prestigious performance groups and I need to decide by Monday. How am I supposed to do that if I have no idea what they're like? You know I wouldn't cancel if it wasn't important." Rachel was pleading with her to understand.

"Fine, I get it. Look, I have a ton of reading to get done. I'll call you later."

"Quinn…"

"Rach, I'll call you later, okay?" She didn't really give Rachel a chance to respond before hanging up the phone.

Quinn felt the tears start rolling down her cheeks as she tossed the phone angrily onto her desk before burying her face into her pillow. They had seen each other two weeks ago and they had gone longer than this last semester without being together. But Rachel had promised that she would come up this weekend and Quinn had already arranged a double date with Derek and Jamie. She was excited to show Rachel the shots from break that she had printed that Mr. Matthews had praised her for. But now all she had to look forward to was a long weekend of trying to fill the void of missing Rachel.

She fell asleep still clad in her jeans that she had worn to class. It was three in the morning when she finally stirred, having fallen asleep crying into her pillow. Her eyes burned from sleeping with her contacts in. She rubbed them as the haze lifted and she remembered how she had ended up her. Hayley's breathing was steady across the room, telling Quinn that her roommate was sleeping peacefully. Grabbing her shower caddy, she tiptoed down the hall and into the bathroom.

It was unsurprisingly empty considering it was the middle of the night on a Wednesday. She turned the knob and let the water warm up in the shower and peeled her dry contact out of her eyes and dropped them into the case before she stripped and submerged herself under the hot water.

The tears fell again as she massaged her shampoo into her scalp. She knew she shouldn't be so upset about this. Life was bound to get in the way sometimes. More than anything, she knew Rachel Berry. This was the same girl that she convinced to break up with Finn because the oaf of a boy would keep her from focusing on her career. But now, she was doing exactly the same thing when she got upset about Rachel picking something for school over coming to visit her at Yale this weekend. Was she any better than Finn Hudson?

She had to convince herself that she was because otherwise she probably would be standing in the shower crying forever. Quinn told herself repeatedly that she was better than him. She was Rachel's biggest fan and that she would call her tomorrow and tell her that it was fine and she understood that it was the most important thing right now. Because Quinn Fabray was determined to be a better person than Finn, even if it meant shoving her own feelings aside.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

"So fucking go to New York and stop whining like a baby." Jess was picking at her cuticles with disinterest as Quinn pouted on her bed. "Seriously, and you have the nerve to say that I suck at relationships, Fabray?"

Quinn scowled at her, but considered what Jess had said. Rachel couldn't come to Yale tomorrow, but why couldn't Quinn go to New York? It wasn't like she was going to be so busy that she couldn't spend time with Quinn after the show on Friday.

"But Rachel has plans to see this play tomorrow. What if she has made other plans for the rest of the weekend too?"

"If she blew you off for this stupid play and then had the nerve to make a whole fun weekend with other people instead of getting her ass on a bus as soon as it was over, then you're wasting your time anyway." Quinn's face fell even more. "She probably thinks you're still mad at her and will spend the rest of the weekend pouting like you're doing right now."

Quinn walked over to her desk and opened her laptop. Before she had a chance to second-guess herself she was punching in her credit card number to reserve a seat on the Greyhound that was leaving tomorrow afternoon. If Rachel couldn't come to New Haven, she had no other choice but to go to her.

Class moved slowly on Friday morning. It had taken all of her efforts to not call Rachel and tell her that she was coming to New York this afternoon instead, but Jess had convinced her that the surprise would be worth it. She did, however, send Kurt a text to warn him and to make sure that Rachel wasn't going to be too busy for her if she made the trip. He seemed relieved and told her that Rachel had been unbearable since they had talked on Wednesday. Quinn couldn't help but smile knowing that Rachel was at least unhappy too that they weren't going to get to see one another.

As soon as her professor dismissed them for the day, she rushed back to her room to grab her duffel bag. Jeff had offered to drop her at the station so she wouldn't have to wait for the campus shuttle and she gave him a quick hug of thanks as she bounded out of the passenger seat and into the station.

The bus was nearly full, but Quinn wasn't even bothered by businesswoman sitting next to her that had been on the phone since they had pulled onto the highway. She had put her headphones in and was going through her pictures that she had taken so far this week for her photography assignment on her laptop that was balanced on her knees.

The next time she looked up, they were crossing the bridge onto Manhattan, the towering skyscrapers erupting all around them. She was amazed at these bus drivers and how they maneuvered these giant vehicles through the bustling midtown Manhattan streets. She gripped her seat tightly as they wove through midtown and into Port Authority.

It had become familiar ground and Quinn shouldered her duffel bag and disappeared into the crowd of lost tourists. She swiped her Metrocard and boarded the subway that was full of businessmen playing on their cell phones with their other hands grasping suitcases. She was skipping up the dingy steps and emerged in a completely different part of the city than where she had arrived half an hour ago.

She turned the wrong way out of the subway as usual. Quinn lacked Rachel's sixth sense of knowing which way she needed to head when all of the streets looked the same when you came up from the subway. She just laughed it off and turned to head in the opposite direction.

Upon turning onto Rachel's block, she called Kurt's cell to let her in so she wouldn't have to buzz their apartment and ruin the surprise. He met her at the door and hugged her as she entered into the lobby.

"Thank goodness. She's been storming around all afternoon because she hasn't heard from you all day and has been cursing Mike Levin for recruiting her for his group."

Quinn giggled with excitement as they climbed the narrow staircase to the third floor apartment. She followed him into the apartment and dropped her bag directly inside the door.

"Rach? I need you, can you come here, please?" called Kurt, standing in the kitchen with a smirk on his face.

"What is it? I'm busy," Rachel called back, obviously not in the mood.

"Pleaseeee," he whined and Quinn had to put her hand to her mouth to suppress the giggle that was threatening to escape. She heard Rachel sigh very loudly before her footsteps began to approach them.

"What is so important?" she demanded as she emerged from her bedroom. Quinn smiled widely as Rachel's jaw dropped dramatically.

"Hey, baby," Quinn said, not moving from her spot near the door. Rachel closed her mouth again, but fell open again as she tried to form words.

"You..you.." she stammered and she began to walk towards Quinn like she was still unsure that the blonde was really standing in front of her in the flesh.

"You couldn't come to New Haven, so I thought I'd come to you," she said, holding her arms open and Rachel flung herself across the room and into Quinn's embrace.

"Oh, Quinn," she sighed into Quinn's shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around the blonde's waist. Kurt caught Quinn's eye over Rachel's head and winked before slipping quietly out of the room and into his bedroom.

Quinn smiled into Rachel's hair, happy that the brunette was pleased at the surprise. She held her there, the smell of Rachel's all-natural honeysuckle shampoo awakening her senses. Rachel pulled back until she could look up into Quinn's face and she smiled sweetly, locking her chocolate orbs with Quinn's hazel ones. Quinn dipped her head and caught Rachel's lips in hers. She felt Rachel melt against her and her own heart raced as Rachel kissed her back enthusiastically.

"Bedroom. Now," demanded Rachel between kisses, stumbling backwards towards her room and dragging Quinn with her. Their lips crashed sloppily as they moved, unable to pull away long enough to walk normally.

As soon as she was close enough, Rachel pushed Quinn back onto the bed and was climbing on top of her before Quinn even had a chance to catch her breath.

"Rach," sighed Quinn as Rachel's mouth moved down to her exposed neck, nipping and kissing it with urgency. This just spurred Rachel on, her hands running along Quinn's sides.

"Off," was all Rachel managed, tugging at Quinn's sweater. She helped Quinn sit up awkwardly and together they discarded the offending garment, lips meeting once again as Quinn fell back onto the bed. It had only been a couple of weeks, but Quinn's body was on fire where Rachel's hands ran along her skin. She shuddered when Rachel raked her fingernails along the exposed ribs and the brunette smirked at her ability to elicit such a response.

Quinn's own hands snaked under Rachel's t-shirt and gripped tightly to her bare waist. Rachel's mouth was on hers, their tongues swirling and taking turns moaning into one another's mouth. Without warning, Rachel's hands slid up to cup Quinn's bra clad breasts. Quinn's back instantly arched into the touch, a louder moan escaping her lips. Rachel reached beneath her and undid the clasp like an expert, pulling the bra from her shoulders. Quinn gripped the t-shirt and pulled upwards. The brunette lifted her arms over her head and allowed Quinn to remove it hastily. She immediately reached behind Rachel and unclasped the bra, discarding it on the floor with her shirt.

Rachel let herself collapse onto Quinn, their bare upper bodies pressed tightly against one another. Quinn dug her fingers into Rachel's back in an attempt to pull her impossibly closer.

"I've missed you," she murmured against Rachel's kiss swollen lips. Her words seemed to ignite Rachel further and the brunette started rocking against Quinn's thigh as she readjusted to slide her own leg between Quinn's.

The friction was a relief and further torture all at once. She let her hips cant up into Rachel's thigh, cursing herself for choosing to wear jeans for the trip. Rachel's hand found her breast again and it caused the blonde to move her hips more frantically up into Rachel's leg.

Quinn reached between them, finding a stiff, dark nipple and rolling it between her thumb and forefinger. Rachel let out a singsong moan and Quinn couldn't help but giggle at her musical girlfriend. With a fleeting movement, Quinn flipped Rachel onto her back and attached her lips to the nipple that her fingers weren't occupying. Rachel groaned loudly and tangled her fingers into Quinn's short hair, holding her close as her tongue flicked against the stiff bud.

Her other hand snaked along Rachel's stomach, stopping to tug open the tie of Rachel's sweatpants. Sliding inside, she cupped Rachel's heat through her wet underwear and felt the smaller girl squirm beneath her, begging for more. She smiled against the nipple in her mouth and released it with a wet pop, switching over to the other one. There was hardly a thing more satisfying than the small brunette writhing beneath her, tugging at her hair and pulling her even closer.

Rachel pulled Quinn face up and kissed her furiously, her hand on the back of Quinn's neck and gripping her tightly. Quinn sat up and tugged the sweatpants and underwear down Rachel's tan legs, her mouth nearly watering at the sight. Rachel's lips were swollen, her hair a tangled mess against the comforter.

"You're beautiful," said Quinn as she propped herself on her elbow on Rachel's side, her right hand grazing up the inside of Rachel's thigh. She heard Rachel inhale sharply as fingers ghosted over the soft skin, getting closer to where the brunette needed them the most.

She slid into the slick heat and Rachel moaned loudly and clenched the comforter in her fists above her head. Quinn smiled down at her head, taking her time to reacquaint herself with Rachel's most intimate parts. She let her fingers roam the length of Rachel's heat, skillfully avoiding full contact with her clit and making the brunette groan in frustration as she pushed her hips into Quinn's gentle hand.

"You're killing me, Fabray," she moaned as Quinn dipped a finger into her up to the first knuckle before removing it again and circling again. Quinn smirked and relished in her control, keeping her pace slow despite Rachel's efforts to force her to speed up and give her the release she so desperately craved.

Quinn was having trouble controlling the pace. She wanted to see Rachel writhing beneath her in the throes of her orgasm, but there was something satisfying at building the girl up slowly until she physically couldn't take it any longer.

She dipped her finger into Rachel again, this time almost reaching the second knuckle before removing it again. Rachel whimpered when she was empty again and Quinn leaned down to capture her lips as her finger rubbed lazy circles against Rachel's clit, working her up slowly. Quinn kissed down her jaw and sucked softly on her pulse point. Knowing Rachel would lecture her about professionalism if she marked her in a visible area, she moved down further, biting gently on the diva's collarbone and kissing down the valley of her breasts.

When Quinn's tongue swirled against Rachel's left nipple, she moaned Quinn's name so loudly that Quinn silently prayed that Kurt was wearing his sound cancelling headphones in the next room. She was having trouble denying Rachel the pleasure she so desperately wanted and she gave in, pushing thrusting two fingers completely into the brunette. Quinn didn't realize it was even possible, though she shouldn't have doubted the strength of Rachel Berry's lungs, but the diva moaned even louder at the intrusion. Egged on by the glorious sounds escaping the diva's lips, Quinn sped up her movements, letting her thumb press firmly against Rachel's throbbing clit as she did. The brunette's hips matched her rhythm, spurring Quinn on. She pulled Quinn's face up and kissed her deeply, her tongue stroking Quinn's with urgency. The blonde started curling her fingers into the sensitive spot on Rachel's inner wall with every thrust, knowing the diva was rapidly approaching her release. She moaned against Quinn's mouth, her hips moving wildly as Quinn continued to push her towards her threshold.

"Oh…Quinn…fuck…Quinn…" The blonde's name tumbled repeatedly in Rachel's powerful singing voice as her walls clenched tightly against Quinn's digits. Quinn kept up her pace until Rachel's hand grabbed her to stop the movement as it became too much stimulation.

She slipped her fingers out slowly and lifted them to her mouth, moaning at the tangy taste of Rachel's wetness. Rachel gaped at the sight and pulled Quinn towards her, kissing her deeply and groaning at the taste of herself on Quinn's tongue. When breathing became necessary, she pulled away and glanced at the clock.

"Shit, I'm supposed to meet Pierce in an hour for dinner before the show. Should I call him and cancel?" she said looking at Quinn. Quinn shook her head quickly.

"I didn't come to ruin your plans, you can go with Pierce and I'll stay here," she replied, flopping down on the mattress next to Rachel.

"I'll text him and tell him you're joining us. I'm sure Pierce won't care. Now let's go I need to shower and I like having a wet, naked Quinn in the shower with me." Quinn didn't argue and shed her jeans and underwear before wrapping the towel Rachel handed around herself. They slipped down the hallway and into the bathroom, chuckling at the sight of Kurt with his giant headphones over his ears for protection.

In a record forty-five minutes, both girls were showered, no longer sexually frustrated, and dressed for dinner and the play. Rachel pulled an adorable red hat over her silky brown hair as they left and Quinn weaved her fingers through Rachel's as they headed out onto the street. They had agreed to meet at a little Italian place right around the corner from NYADA and although they were a couple of minutes early, Pierce was already standing inside the lobby.

Quinn was impressed with his outfit: simple khaki pants, a light blue oxford button-down, and a pink and blue striped tie. His hair was gelled, but still had a messy playfulness to it and he greeted them with a toothy grin and a kiss to their cheeks.

She was glad to see Rachel so happy. Her and Pierce seemed to get along really well and Quinn toyed with her salad contentedly as they compared war stories about classes and their competition. Rachel insisted on paying for her and Quinn's dinner despite Pierce's insistence of buying.

Rachel tucked her arm into Quinn's as they walked onto campus. She led the way to one of the academic building that apparently housed a small theater as well. She called Mike, the leader of the performance group and he appeared a minute later holding three tickets for her. She smiled at him and told him to break a leg before leading Quinn and Pierce into the theater.

They were early and the theater was only about half full. It wasn't assigned seating, so Rachel dragged them around the theater to find a spot with the best acoustics. Pierce just followed along happily and agreed with her when she asked his opinion on a spot. Quinn just rolled her eyes until she was instructed that she could finally sit down. Rachel grasped her hand and held it in her lap as she chatted with Pierce. Quinn just looked around the theater. The crowd seemed to be a mix of performers' parents and other college students. It was a small theater and even though they were a few rows back from the front, they seemed to be awfully close to the stage and the orchestra pit that was warming up just below the stage.

Fifteen minutes later, the theater was about three-quarters full and the lights flashed to signal people that the play was about to begin. Quinn relaxed back into her seat, focusing on Rachel's thumb drawing lazy circles on the back of her hand more than anything else.

The play started. It was student written and a little choppy, but overall it wasn't bad. The plot was easy to follow and kept the crowd laughing. The lead male, the guy Mike they had met before the show, was a really good actor and had a powerful voice. Quinn felt Rachel move to the edge of her seat as he sang, obviously enamored by his potential as a strong leading man. The female lead, a girl that her paper program informed her was a junior girl named Francesca Wigden. She was decent performer, but her vocals were not even in the same league as Rachel's. Rachel seemed to have formed the same opinion within Francesca's first eight bars and was unsurprisingly pleased at the opportunity to take over as the lead if she accepted Mike's invitation to join the group.

During the intermission, Rachel needed to use the bathroom, so Quinn flipped through the program. They had small bios on each of the actors with their headshot. She scanned through them, seeing the long lists of performance experience. Mike had been in an off-Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof over the summer, but other than that all of the cast members seemed to be in small way-off Broadway productions and community theater shows thus far.

Rachel arrived back to her seat just in time for the lights to flash signifying the beginning of the second Act. She let herself enjoy it, while Rachel was now scribbling on a small memo pad, apparently taking notes on the performers. Quinn shook her head comically at her girlfriend. Pierce didn't seem to think this was unordinary and he tapped his fingers in rhythm with the pit during the musical number, oblivious to Rachel's furious scribbling. Quinn tried to read over her shoulder, but it was too dark in the theater, so she went back to watching the play instead.

Afterwards, they hung around in the lobby waiting for Mike to reappear. He did after about half an hour, his face washed of all of the stage makeup and his hair messy.

"Thanks for coming," he said with a smile. "Did you like it?" asked Mike. It was a general question, but his focus was all on Rachel.

"It was definitely entertaining. I took notes that I'd be glad to share with you on some of the actors. You were an excellent lead, but you need somebody that can keep up with you vocally." Rachel sounded so professional, not like she was talking to someone about joining an extracurricular club.

"Somebody like Rachel Berry I hope?" he asked with a sly smile. It didn't surprise Quinn that he understood a diva like Rachel. He probably was one himself, much like Jesse St. James had been.

"I would be honored to work with your group, Mike," Rachel replied, her biggest winning smile taking over her face.

"Great! I'll e-mail you our rehearsal schedule and we'll get you on board. I need to meet up with some of the cast, but I'll see you soon. Nice meeting both of you." Quinn and Pierce muttered goodbyes and Rachel let him kiss her on the cheek before he gave a little wave and headed back to the other actors that were standing and talking by the stage door.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Did you have fun tonight?" asked Rachel as she pulled the earrings from her ears and dropped them into the jewelry box that rested on her dresser.

"Yeah, I had a good time," said Quinn mildly. The play was fine, but she had no real attachment to it. But sitting in a college theater watching students perform with Rachel was still a whole lot better than the sulking she would have done if she had stayed in New Haven this weekend.

Quinn went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she returned, Rachel was laying on her stomach in a t-shirt and her panties, flipping through the glossy pages of a magazine. She took in the sight from the doorway for a minute before dropping her stuff on top of her duffel bag and crawling up the bed to lie next to her.

"You used to wear pants when we had sleepovers," said Quinn mockingly.

"That was before you stopped denying that you're totally into me," retorted Rachel, squealing as Quinn ran her hand along the curve of her ass unexpectedly.

"Nobody ever asked me," Quinn said with a shrug.

"So sophomore head Cheerio ice bitch Quinn Fabray would have willingly admitted that she was crushing on slushie facial everyday, high maintenance diva Rachel Berry?" challenged Rachel. Quinn raised the signature Fabray eyebrow.

"Fine, probably not," Quinn gave up.

"Well, at least now you get the high maintenance, slushie free diva," said Rachel, pulling Quinn's t-shirt until her lips were close enough to kiss.

"You looked good covered in blue corn syrup," mumbled Quinn against Rachel's lips before she captured them again, kissing the brunette fiercely.

Rachel pulled away when Quinn's hands started wandering down Rachel's sides and found refuge on the globes of her ass again.

"Kurt left you a note," Rachel said, reaching over and grabbing the sheet of paper from the nightstand.

_Quinn,_

_While I am glad that your surprise went spectacularly, I will be returning tonight and I cannot wear my headphones all night (plus they aren't completely noise cancelling, I should demand a refund), so I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making your girlfriend sing your beautiful name the entire weekend, particularly if I am within a mile radius of the apartment._

_Hugs and kisses,_

_Kurt_

Quinn snorted when she finished reading the note.

"Well he's not within the given radius right now," she said with a smirk, massaging Rachel's upper thigh, her eyes growing darker.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Don't you just want to take pictures of me in my natural habitat?" whined Rachel. Quinn glanced over at the bed to see tan skin glowing against the light blue sheets, her body bare and her hair wavy from sleeping on it.

"Since when is Rachel Berry's natural habitat her bed at nine in the morning?" chortled Quinn. She was already showered and dressed and was sliding her feet into ankle-high leather boots. "Plus this will be good practice for when a professional is shooting you for a magazine. I doubt you want the first photographs of you leaked to be amateur nude shots."

Rachel groaned, but was coerced out of the bed with a few strategic kisses from Quinn. She headed for the shower and Quinn joined Kurt in the kitchen for coffee.

"Thanks for helping me with this, Kurt," she said, stealing a strawberry from his plate and popping it into her mouth.

"No problem. We all know that Rachel needs a stylist. Hopefully next time that we do this, she can be wearing some of my own designs," he said with a grin.

"So you like going to FIT?" asked Quinn.

"Yeah, I really do. NYADA was great, but listening to everybody there talk about their goals, I realized that I didn't share them anymore. Fashion is a better choice for me."

Rachel's voice was emanating from the shower. Apparently it was a West Side Story kind of morning and she was starring as Maria. Kurt hummed along absentmindedly as he washed his plate and made himself another cup of coffee.

"Don't you miss the stage?" questioned Quinn, toying with the handle of her own cup.

"Don't you?" replied Kurt quickly. "We're not all meant to live in the spotlight every night the way Rachel is. I'd rather have her walking the red carpet telling the reporters that she is wearing Kurt Hummel."

Rachel emerged from the bathroom still singing. She winked and swayed her hips sexily as she walked towards her bedroom. Quinn's eyes were glued to her wet body until she disappeared behind the door. Kurt just laughed and shook his head.

"I can't believe I am about to make fun of Quinn Fabray for drooling over Rachel Berry." Quinn glared at him for a second, making him freeze in place looking terrified, before she broke into raucous laughter.

"It's good to know that I still have it. C'mon we need hair and makeup on Ms. Berry before we leave."

Two hours later, Kurt was leading them through a building at FIT, the three of them lugging Quinn's photography equipment and items for Rachel's shoot. He led them to a practically empty room. It had a backdrop with a light gray curtain and led out onto a runway. Kurt explained that it was just essentially a practice room to let models walk in the clothes before the actual show and so the designer could make sure it looks the way they wanted it to.

Quinn set up her sparse equipment while Kurt went to retrieve the cart full of clothes in Rachel's size that his classmates had let him borrow.

"Any particular theme or vision, Ms. Fabray?" he asked in a professional tone as he thumbed through the hanging garments.

"Nah, I'm just trying something different here for class. I was looking at internships for the summer and a lot of the photographers here do work with fashion companies, magazines, and celebrities. So this is perfect practice for all of us," she said with a wink at Rachel and Kurt both. She sat on a wooden stool as Kurt picked out Rachel's first outfit and then touched up her makeup and accessorized it.

The afternoon flew by and Quinn finally called it a wrap when Rachel's whining became uncontrollable. Quinn had to remind Rachel more than a few times that Kurt was the stylist so he made all of the fashion decisions. She also had to inform her that she refused to only shoot her from her left side and that she was going to have to get over that crap once she was famous anyway. When she started to complain about her feet hurting from the mile high stilettos Kurt kept stuffing her feet into, Quinn gave in.

They went back to the apartment to drop off their stuff and Quinn took the two of them out for dinner to thank them for helping her. Kurt seemed energized by the experience and even Rachel had to admit that she was excited to see how the pictures came out, but insisted that Quinn give her a foot rub tonight.

After a really nice dinner, the three of them returned to the apartment and got into their pajamas. Kurt popped open a bottle of wine and they put on a movie as they cuddled up on the couch together. Quinn thought about all of the nights she had done with Santana and Brittany (although wine usually meant tequila with Santana) over the years. Kurt and Rachel weren't the ones she had thought she would ever being doing this with, but it felt so right. It felt like home.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Maybe you could come to New Haven in a few weeks if you're not too busy," Quinn suggested as they laid next to one another on Rachel's bed late that night. Her fingers were rubbing softly along the back of Rachel's hand that was resting on her stomach.

"I'd like that," said Rachel. "I'm sorry that I messed up our plans this weekend."

"I know it was important, I just got needy." Rachel moved her face up to kiss Quinn's cheek.

"That's my job, sweetie. Mercedes, Blaine, and Artie are coming to visit in three weeks by the way. They're looking at colleges and are crashing with Kurt and I. I know you're busy, but I'm sure they'd love to see you if you could come to New York."

Quinn nodded her acknowledgement, her hand still absentmindedly running along Rachel's.

"I think I can do that. Can you come up before then?" Quinn asked hopefully.

"I'll do my best, babe." Quinn knew not to push it because despite her cancelling this weekend, she knew that Rachel would really try to come visit as soon as she could.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Rachel woke Quinn up early the next morning with the excuse that she didn't want to waste the precious few hours they had before Quinn had to go back to Yale. After a heated make out session and a cup of coffee delivered in bed, she finally got the blonde to get up.

Quinn shooed her away as she flitted energetically over the blonde's shoulder as Quinn uploaded the pictures from yesterday's photo shoot. Rachel had insisted on seeing them before Quinn left. By the time they were done, Rachel had sat herself in Quinn's lap and was tapping nervously on the edge of the table.

"What has gotten into you?" asked Quinn, reaching around Rachel's waist to open the folder.

"It's like seeing the prints from my first ever real photo shoot. This is big, Quinn!"

Quinn chortled, but stopped instantly at seeing the true nerves in Rachel's eyes.

"Babe, this is hardly a real photo shoot. I have zero experience at this."

"Quinn, you're amazing. Look at that." She was pointing to the picture on the screen. It was one of the earliest shots when she was just trying to adjust to the lighting and Rachel was being cranky because Quinn was trying to set her up to look directly at the camera rather than angling it to photograph her left side. Rachel was glaring intensely at the camera with a little pout, but Quinn couldn't help but smile. It was obvious that Rachel's face was about to break into a smile. Quinn had stuck her tongue out immaturely at that particular moment to make Rachel laugh and relax so that they could work on the shoot.

She had taken hundreds of shots and she let Rachel flip through them at her own pace, knowing she'd have time tomorrow to go through them before she met with Mr. Matthews on Tuesday. Rachel would pause at shots that she deemed her best angles and Quinn just held her waist happily as the brunette critiqued her shots.

It was nearly noon when Quinn finally got Rachel moving and packed her bag up. Rachel pouted as they stood in the doorway of her apartment.

"I don't want you to leave yet," she whined and let Quinn envelope her in a tight hug.

"I'll see you in a couple of weeks. You're going to be so busy with your new group that you'll forget all about me anyway," Quinn said, kissing the brunette's hair.

"I couldn't forget you even if I was starring in Broadway," Rachel said. She wrapped her arms even tighter around Quinn's waist. "You better go before I lock you in my room and keep you."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"So she'll be here Friday?" asked Jeff as his player on the screen scored another touchdown. She rolled her eyes when Derek threw his controller on the ground in frustration and Jeff held out his fist for her to bump.

"If everything goes as planned." She sighed deeply. "Not that anything does with Rachel lately."

It had been a week and a half since Quinn's bus had pulled out of Port Authority and she returned to New Haven. For ten days she had been asked Rachel to come visit and had been told repeatedly that she would try. Rachel had texted her an hour ago saying she was coming up after her dance class on Friday. She had cancelled their video chat sessions for the past three nights, so Quinn refused to let herself get excited where there was a good chance Rachel would have to cancel the visit last minute as well.

Derek squeezed her arm in comfort and gave her a weak smile. He had seen her a lot more than usual this week between Rachel letting her down and Quinn attempting to avoid Jess a little bit. He didn't mind Quinn hanging around. She didn't complain about him playing too many video games with his buddies the way Jamie did. Quinn was cool about being one of the guys and was easily the least dramatic girl he knew. Her hand was against his bare arm and he could feel the strong calluses that had developed from their hours of guitar. It didn't surprise him that she was getting good at it; Quinn seemed to be the kind of person that was good at everything they tried.

"Have a beer," offered Jeff, leaning over from his bed to extract them from the mini fridge. It was his weak attempt at cheering her up, but she just shook him off.

"I should get back. I want to get my work done on the off-chance I get to see my girlfriend this weekend." She hugged both of them and walked back to her own dorm.

Hayley had been avoiding the room a lot in the past week as well. Quinn figured it was because Jess seemed to be stopping by every fifteen minutes. She had been avoiding the room for the same reason. They were talking, but Quinn had put her old walls up with Jess, keeping her constantly at arm's length.

She had an e-mail from Rachel with her itinerary through when she would be arriving at Yale on Friday. It was booked solid and Quinn felt a little bad for the pressure she had been putting on Rachel to come up for the weekend. The pink hours of group rehearsals ran over the edges of meetings and lessons and classes, each in their own color coordination. Just looking at the calendar made Quinn exhausted, so she couldn't imagine what Rachel felt like. She vowed to make sure Rachel got plenty of rest this weekend.

~!~!~!~

Rachel told her not to pick her up at the train station, but Quinn couldn't resist it. She had printed Rachel's itinerary and knew exactly what time she was supposed to arrive. Rachel's face lit up when she saw the blonde standing there, a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and rubbing her bare hands together for warmth. She wanted to run into her arms, but she was dragging her suitcase and was surrounded by the other passengers that had gotten off. As soon as she was close enough she dropped the handle of the bag and pushed her hands into Quinn's hair, pulling her lips close.

Quinn scooped up her bag when Rachel finally pulled back and took her hand, leading her out to the car. Rachel was talking a mile a minute about her rehearsals and how Francesca didn't seem too happy about her joining the group. Quinn listened happily, just glad that Rachel had actually made the trip. They were back in Quinn's dorm by the time the brunette ran out of things to talk about regarding her performance group.

Hayley was hanging out with Keagan in their room when they walked in. Quinn introduced Rachel to Keagan, who seemed overwhelmed by Rachel's outgoing personality. Hayley seemed happier than Quinn had seen her all week and she hugged Rachel warmly in greeting before settling back onto her bed chatting away happily. Quinn felt so content, tucked onto her own bed with Rachel's warm body pressed against her side, laughing at the episode of Friends.

They eventually meandered to the dining hall for dinner and saw Jess sitting in their regular corner with another girl Quinn didn't know. Hayley didn't seem pleased by Jess' blatant flirting and went off to find food while Quinn walked over to drop her jacket and keys.

"Hey," she said simply, her fingers intertwined with Rachel's.

"Oh, hey, Q. This is Kristen," she said gesturing to the fake blonde beside her.

"Hi," Quinn directed towards Kristen, not caring too much about getting to know the random skank Jess was parading around right now. Rachel felt tense against her.

She led her away and got dinner before heading back to the table. Hayley looked uncomfortable and Keagan was being her typical shy self. It was an awkward meal between Jess' mirthless flirting and her glances at Quinn and Rachel. Hayley was focusing on shoveling her food into her mouth and avoiding eye contact with Jess. Rachel tried to keep the mood light with anecdotes about New York or high school Quinn, but it was fruitless. As soon as they finished eating, they headed back, leaving Jess still sitting at the table with Kristen.

Hayley and Keagan decided to go out with some of Hayley's science friends after dinner, leaving the room to Quinn and Rachel. Quinn didn't see it coming, but Rachel had pinned her to the bed within seconds, her mouth running down Quinn's bare neck.

Quinn's hand found brunette hair and tangled into it, holding Rachel's face close against her. Rachel seemed frenzied in her movements, her hands searching for Quinn's skin immediately and finding it under the hem of Quinn's blouse.

There was a knock on the door and Quinn groaned, pushing Rachel slightly until the smaller girl rolled off of her. She padded across the room and tore the door open with an annoyed sigh.

"Is Hayls around?" asked Jess, standing awkwardly in the hallway.

"Why do you care? Kristen not good enough in bed?" Quinn spat, moving to shut the door on her. Jess was too fast and moved in Quinn's way, not allowing her to close it.

"I need to see Hayley. Do you know where she is?" Jess was practically pleading with her.

"Why do you think I would tell you?" Quinn was already past the point of having patience with her so-called friend. "Seriously, Jess, you know you're my friend but I'm not going to let you ruin Hayley's night with your bullshit. Just go get drunk with your skanky new friend." This time she was able to push Jess out of the way so she could close the door, but not before seeing the tears welling up in the tall brunette's eyes.

Rachel was sitting up on the bed, concern in her eyes. Quinn collapsed next to her and let her head fall into Rachel's lap.

"Still having problems with Jess I guess," Rachel mused quietly, moving the blonde hair off of Quinn's forehead.

"She's just all over the place lately. Hayley doesn't deserve it and this crap she pulled at dinner tonight put me over the edge."

She closed her eyes as Rachel's fingernails scratched softly against her scalp, soothing her. It felt like they were back in senior year. They had spent many nights lying on Rachel's bed together, just enjoying one another's company. Quinn remembered crying on Rachel's lap on Beth's birthday last year. Rachel sang softly until Quinn had fallen asleep from exhaustion. They had switched roles a few times over the course of the year. Quinn had never been good at comforting people because it wasn't something that even happened in her household growing up. But seeing Rachel so broken up over her botched NYADA audition and her eventual breakup with Finn brought out Quinn's nurturing side. She spent hours wiping tears from Rachel's cheeks and stroking her hair. Looking back, the NYADA audition should have been Finn's responsibility, but he was supportive for about two days and didn't seem to blink an eye when Rachel tried to put on a brave face and make her life go on as normal.

Quinn had seen through Rachel's façade. She noticed that Rachel had practically stopped eating and was only singing when required to in glee club, but when she had confronted Finn, the oaf told her that Rachel said that she was fine. Quinn had torn him a new one before immediately taking matters into her own hands and getting Rachel back on her feet.

"You think Santana and Britt are around? I haven't talked to them in forever," Rachel inquired, her fingers absentmindedly twirling a short lock of blonde hair.

"Dunno. We can try to Skype with them," Quinn offered. Rachel nodded and Quinn moved to get her laptop and texted Santana to see if they were around. Her computer rang with the incoming call within a minute and Santana's face appeared on the screen.

"It's a Friday night and you two have nothing better to do than video chat with me?" mocked Santana, using the screen to apply her eyeliner.

"We just missed you is all," piped up Rachel waving to the monitor. Santana visibly rolled her eyes. "Where is Brittany?"

"Working as usual. She's leaving on tour in four weeks," Santana told them, seeming to be avoiding their eyes.

"Are you okay with that?" Quinn asked softly, although seeing in Santana's face she most definitely wasn't.

"Do I really have a choice? This is her big chance to make a name for herself and I have to support her in it." Both girls noticed that Santana avoided truly answering the question.

Quinn changed the subject and they caught up, letting Rachel do much of the talking and causing Santana to roll her eyes quite regularly. Underneath her hard exterior, Quinn could see that Rachel's endless babble was helping the Latina get her mind off of her own troubles and she kept stealing glances at Quinn in the corner of the screen.

They talked for almost two hours and only hung up because Brittany was calling Santana. She said a hurried goodbye before scrambling for her cell phone and hanging up on them.

Quinn hated that she couldn't be there for Santana the way she had been in high school. The two of them had spent so many nights eating all of the foods on Coach Sylvester's forbidden list and stealing vodka from their parents' liquor cabinets. They didn't talk much about their problems, but instead would pass the bottle between them and sharing a carton of Ben and Jerry's as they watched old movies. Mrs. Rivera had gotten so used to these nights after Quinn gave up Beth and when Brittany was dating Artie that she started stocking up on their favorite flavors of ice cream.

"She's okay, Quinn. She loves Brittany too much to not be okay." Rachel was practically reading her mind.

"I just worry about her. You know how explosive Santana can be. She doesn't handle stress well and I was always the Santana-Brittany buffer."

"You can't always be there to solve their problems for them. Santana will have to learn eventually. Now, I think you need some ice cream, so let's go."


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

Jamie was a nice girl. She was a little bland for Quinn's taste, but Derek seemed happy enough. Quinn and Rachel were sitting across from the couple in a small Italian place that Derek recommended. Jamie fiddled with her napkin and Derek's hand as the other three talked. Ever since the blowup in Derek's room, she seemed nervous around Quinn. But Derek had insisted that Jamie was just a little intimidated by Quinn and that seeing her and Rachel together would help a lot. So Quinn agreed and now she found herself sitting here with them, Rachel's thigh pressed against her own under the table, their fingers intertwined as they waited for their food.

Derek was his typical social self and kept trying to pull Jamie into the conversation. When he made a joke about being the only guy there and how lucky he was, she visibly stiffened. Quinn quickly changed the subject and gave Jamie a look trying to convey that sometimes boys just didn't think before they spoke, but the girl didn't seem to get it.

It was a relief when they returned to campus and went their separate ways: Derek and Jamie towards her dorm and Rachel and Quinn to the coffee shop. They ordered their coffee and settled into two armchairs near the back, basking in the calming environment.

"Jamie is incredibly intimidated by you," Rachel stated conversationally, blowing on her coffee to cool it.

Quinn just scoffed in annoyance, stirring her own coffee and looking up into Rachel's eyes.

"I don't get why. I'm dating a girl."

"It's more than your relationship status, Quinn. You're beyond beautiful but hardly seem to notice that you turn heads every time you walk into a room. You move with an unmatched grace. Even though all three of you go to Yale, it's obvious that she's intimidated by your intelligence based on the way Derek was raving about your article. What is there not to be intimidated by?" Quinn was blushing by the end of Rachel's little speech.

"She only cares that I spend a lot of time with Derek," Quinn said lamely in response.

"That's ridiculous and you know it. She doesn't think that you're going to make a move on him, but she knows that he wanted you before he knew that you were gay and she's jealous that she was a second choice to the unattainable Quinn Fabray."

"Can we talk about something else? Like maybe about how my girlfriend looks beyond stunning in that dress," Quinn said, her eyes raking up Rachel's exposed calves to where the dress ended at her knees. It was Rachel's turn to blush.

"Is Hayley around tonight?" Rachel asked, need obvious in her eyes as they met Quinn's.

"I'll text her," responded Quinn quickly and whipping out her phone in one fluid motion.

Hayley agreed to not come back for a few hours and Rachel practically dragged Quinn out of the coffee shop before forcing Quinn to lead because she wasn't sure how to get back to the dorm.

The door had barely closed behind them when Rachel's hands were pulling Quinn's coat from her shoulders and grasping the zipper of her dress. Quinn, although taken aback, didn't fight her and sighed when she felt the zipper release and Rachel's cold fingers slide along her side.

"Has it really only been two weeks?" Rachel murmured against Quinn's bare neck, her breath warm. "It feels like months since we've done this."

"Bed?" Quinn suggests, her arms wrapped around Rachel to keep herself steady as Rachel assaults her neck with vigor. She doesn't wait for an answer but instead pushes Rachel towards it, the two of them stumbling in the dark room until they fall back onto Quinn's twin bed.

It is a moment of pure lust and despite how quickly hands find their way to where they both need them the most, Quinn can still see why it's called making love. She doesn't know how to express to Rachel how much she loves her, but as her fingers curl and Rachel belts out her name, she hopes that her girlfriend understands.

Quinn forces them to get dressed after a second round because she knows that Rachel is on the verge of falling asleep and she doesn't want to deal with that awkwardness with Hayley later.

Rachel is snoring softly with her head resting on Quinn's chest when the door opens. Hayley and Jess are silhouetted by the hallway light behind them and Quinn sees that they are wrapped in a tight embrace. She bites her tongue to refrain from groaning in annoyance and pleads silently for them to not wake Rachel up.

"Can I come in?" Jess asks and Hayley giggles for a minute before distinctly shaking her head no. Quinn smiles with pride at Hayley sticking to her guns. They kiss for another minute before Hayley ducks into the room and closes the door behind her.

Quinn wants this visit to just be about them spending time since next weekend all of their friends will be in the way. After a quick breakfast in the dining hall, they lounge on the floor in Quinn's room. Rachel reads Quinn's journalism assignment and tells her it's great. Quinn smiles in appreciation because she knows Rachel probably has a million comments and is just trying to be nice.

She's much more enthusiastic when Quinn breaks out her photography portfolio. In the absence of Rachel over the past couple of weeks, she had poured a lot of time into it. Rachel gasped over the shots that she had selected for her final portfolio. Almost all of them focused around people besides the few that were included to highlight her camera skills.

One set was dedicated to Beth. They were casual and for the most part completely candid. Rachel had met and heard so much about Beth and it was eerie how much she felt like Quinn had displayed Beth's personality through the use of a camera.

The middle set was a mix of friends and strangers. Most of them were candid shots, but they all set a unique mood.

Quinn bit her lip as Rachel flipped to the last series. The brunette observed slowly, carefully. Each page turn was deliberate and she spent long moments taking in each shot. When she finally reaches the end, Quinn looked at her nervously.

"What do you think?" she asked tentatively. Rachel broke into a big smile and hugged her tightly.

"I think you're going to be famous some day. I know that I'm hiring you to do my first magazine spread when I get nominated for a Tony award." Quinn kissed her, relieved. Rachel was her own harshest critic and Quinn had prepared herself for the wrath because she had included shots that did not photograph Rachel from her left side, even though Quinn knew she was beautiful from all angles.

They didn't even bother changing out of sweatpants that night and they waved goodbye to Jess, Hayley, and Keagan when they left for a frat party without a second thought. There was a comfort that came from it just being the two of them with no plans pulling them away. The last couple of months had been hectic and stressful and exhausting and despite the pile of homework on her desk and the practicing she knew Rachel should be doing instead, they laid cuddled up together on Quinn's bed.

For hours they laid there. They talked about life and things that didn't matter and what they would do with their summer in the city together. Quinn talked about the places she wanted to see in the world and Rachel told her the list of legendary stages she was determined to perform on. It felt like the same Quinn and Rachel that had spent so many summer nights sprawled out on the grass in Quinn's backyard. It felt so long ago, those nights before the lake house kiss.

"Do you think we should rent the lake house again?" asked Quinn her finger rubbing soft circles on Rachel's exposed stomach.

"What would you say if I told you that I already put the deposit down on it for the second week in August?" Rachel said and Quinn could her the happiness in her voice.

"I would say that you're perfect and that we should e-mail our friends to set it up." Rachel sprung up and grabbed Quinn's laptop. She logged into her account and they laughed as they drafted a ridiculous e-mail to the lake house crew. Quinn was excited to have yet another thing to look forward to and she let Rachel insert it onto her Google calendar.

The morning came to quickly and Quinn rubbed her tired eyes when the sound of Rachel's phone alarm went off. They had stayed up until nearly dawn talking. Rachel turned it off and snuggled her chin into Quinn's arm. The bed was warm and cozy and neither of them wanted to leave this cocoon they had built for themselves.

Rachel had to return to the city early for a rehearsal, so they stopped quickly for muffins and coffee on the way to the station and ate on a bench as they waited for her train to board. The last two weeks had been really rough, but having Rachel for the weekend had been completely worth it all.

~!~!~!~

Professor Matthews helped Quinn finalize her portfolio that Tuesday after class and gave her a list of internship opportunities. She thanked him as she glanced down the dozen positions quickly.

"I have another really great opportunity for you, Ms. Fabray," he said. She looked up at him with interest. "How do you feel about studying in London for the fall semester?"

Quinn contemplated for a moment. She hadn't really considered studying abroad, not since she started dating Rachel and life had been fulfilling enough.

"I hadn't thought about it sir," she said honestly. "How soon do I have to give an answer?"

"One of my friends at Cambridge is taking on an apprentice and you can still take your English classes at the same time. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I told him that I would recommend my most promising student. He would like my recommendation by Monday."

She smiled at his compliment, but her heart was pounding in her chest. A semester in London sounded like a distant fantasy. Could she really be an ocean apart from Rachel and have their relationship survive? Quinn promised that she would let him know on Monday morning before he dismissed her for the day.

~!~!~!~

"Kurt, they are going to be arriving in an hour! You need to get this fabric out of our living area!"

Kurt let out a sigh and walked into the living room, scooping up the little piles of fabric he had lying all over the place. Fashion school was just as exhausting as NYADA had been and as much as he was looking forward to their friends being there, it was going to be stressful.

Rachel's cell trilled loudly and she answered it excitedly. Quinn was on the other end and Rachel bounded down the stairs to meet her. Kurt stayed upstairs to clean up before their other friends arrived.

"Come upstairs!" said Rachel after they kissed hello, tugging at Quinn's hand. The blonde stood still. "What's wrong?" asked Rachel, seeing the worry in Quinn's eyes when she turned around.

"Can we talk before everybody else gets here?" she asked quietly. Rachel nodded softly and they started walking slowly down the sidewalk away from the apartment.

Rachel was worried, but she just walked beside Quinn, waiting for the blonde to speak first. She wanted to reach out and link her fingers with Quinn's, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to right now.

"I want you to be honest, but I need you to try to see it from my point of view too." Quinn was being vague and Rachel's worry continued to grow.

"Of course, Quinnie," she said earnestly, chancing a side-glance at her girlfriend.

"How upset would you be if I spent the fall semester in England?" she said quickly, avoiding looking at Rachel. Rachel stopped walking completely and stared at Quinn in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" She was confused. Sure, they had talked about places they wanted to travel to merely days ago and now Quinn was ready to pack up and move to Europe?

"I got offered an apprenticeship under a photographer there and I would get to take classes at Cambridge. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, Rach," Quinn replied immediately, pleading with Rachel to understand.

"I don't know what to say," said Rachel, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Say that you're proud of me and that I should go. Please." Quinn now had tears filling up her eyes and she locked in on Rachel's face.

"Of course I'm proud of you, Quinn, and I'd be the biggest hypocrite in the universe if I told you that you shouldn't follow your dreams. But what does this mean for us?"

"I think we can do it. It's only four months, Rach. We'll have the entire summer together and I'll be home two days into your winter break. But I won't go if you tell me I'm going to lose you over this."

"Quinn, you can't make decisions based on me!"

"I'm going to whether you say I can or not! A few months in London is not worth losing you over!"

"It's not like you're going on a leisurely trip. It's for your future, your possible career. You have to go."

"That's what you don't get, Rachel. I don't look at this as _my_ future; I look at this as _our_ future. This decision affects both of us, both short and long term. My life includes you and having something amazing on my resume isn't going to make me happy if I means I'm going to lose you." The tears poured over and slid silently down her pale cheeks.

"Our friends are probably here. We'll talk about this more later." Quinn just stared at her, unmoving. Rachel moved in and took Quinn's chin into her hand. "I love you, Quinn Fabray."

"Love you too, Rach."

The small apartment felt suffocating. She let their friends hug her, but she didn't feel like being in a room with them all right now with tear streaks lining her cheeks. Rachel immediately put on a show smile and hugged them all hello. Kurt's arms were wrapped lovingly around Blaine. Tina had joined the trip last minute and she was standing with Mercedes and Artie discussing the plans for the weekend. She slipped past them and into Rachel's bedroom.

She pulled her headphones from her bag and shoved them into her ears before collapsing back onto Rachel's pillows. Immediately her senses were bombarded with the lingering scent of Rachel's shampoo. It was instantly comforting and she snuggled in, pulling the bear she had gotten Rachel into her arms.

Quinn didn't know how long she had been lying like that, but eventually Rachel wandered into the room and shut the door softly behind her. The brunette stood awkwardly next to the bed and looked down on Quinn.

"Our friends came all the way from Ohio to spend the weekend with us. We're going out for dinner and we'd all like it if you would join," Rachel said in a business-like tone.

"I'm not hungry. I think I'm just going to go to sleep," Quinn replied nonchalantly.

"Quinn, please don't be like this. They're only here for two nights," Rachel pleaded.

"I came here for you, Rachel. When are you going to realize that I do everything for us? I want to go to London, but I want to still have my girlfriend and you seem fine with the idea of losing me." Quinn willed herself to not starting crying again.

"It's not until September. We have time to talk about this later, Quinn."

"I have to give a final answer on first thing on Monday morning or I lose my spot. So no, we don't have time, Rachel. This is the only reason I came here this weekend because I thought you deserved to hear it in person and that we could work this out together. Did you bother to look at my calendar this week? I have a huge paper due for my Journalism class on Tuesday that's worth 20% of my semester grade and I should be holed up in the library all weekend, but instead I'm here because you begged me to and I care enough to think you deserved the chance to voice your opinion on London because it affects you as much as it does me. You mean so much to me, Rach, and I really want to go to London, but I know I'll regret it for the rest of my life if it causes me to lose you."

"How do I win, Quinn? If I tell you that I don't want you to go, I'm selfish. If I convince you to go and it doesn't work out, you'll blame me forever. This has to be _your_ decision, Quinnie. I'll support you no matter what and I promise you that I'll put my whole heart into making the distance work because I can't bear the thought of losing you. Is that what you want to hear? That I don't think I could live without you? Because it's true. NYADA, Broadway, all of it means nothing without you."

Quinn grabbed the front of Rachel's dress and pulled her down on top of her. She crashed their lips together and Rachel moaned at the contact. They kissed roughly, passionately and Quinn felt the tears stream down her face.

"Everybody is waiting for us," mumbled Rachel against Quinn's lips.

"Will you kiss me like that when I get home from London?" asked Quinn, allowing her thumb to brush along Rachel's jaw line.

"Every chance I get," Rachel responded without hesitation.

It's what Quinn had been desperate to hear. There knew in her heart that Rachel was willing to fight to make this relationship work just as much as she was.

"Then let's eat." Rachel beamed at her.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Quinn chose to stay home the next day when everybody else went gallivanting around the city. Rachel took Blaine to NYADA for a private tour. The others were there more for fun than anything else so Kurt took them out and about. Rachel was understanding when Quinn told her that she should probably work on her paper rather than join either group, but they made plans to meet later in the afternoon.

The apartment was peaceful once they had all taken off and Quinn pulled out her laptop and settled in at the dining room table. She worked until her phone alarm went off to tell her to get ready to meet the rest of them. It had been a productive morning and she felt more relaxed than she had since her talk with Professor Matthews earlier that week. Looking around the tiny living room, she felt at home. She could see herself moving to New York after graduation and getting a little place like this with Rachel as they started really making their dreams come true.

Her friends showed up at the restaurant laden with bags and souvenirs and perky smiles. She greets them happily and they seem to sigh with relief that happy Quinn had returned. It felt good to be back with her friends. She had spent the first two years of high school making their lives living hell, but Rachel was right when she said glee club was all she would have left after her pregnancy. They were a family and they were always there for one another.

It was a quiet evening at the apartment. Quinn was content with Rachel sitting between her legs on the floor, her back against Quinn's chest and Quinn's arms wrapped around her. Blaine rambled about his excitement over NYADA and what he should sing for his audition in a couple of weeks. Tina informed them that she was going to University of Michigan in the fall to study theatre. Mercedes told them about how her dad wanted her to go to school for dentistry like he did and wasn't supporting her decision to move to Hollywood to pursue a recording contract. Artie just shrugged when they asked him about his plans for next year. Nobody pushed him, but Quinn felt bad for the kid. She gave him a meaningful smile and he smiled appreciatively at her.

The night wore on and Quinn fell asleep leaning back on the couch, Rachel's warm body against hers. She stirred at the feeling of the brunette's lips against her jaw. Quinn let Rachel drag her into the bedroom and she collapsed onto the bed still dressed. Rachel came over and pulled the jeans down her legs despite the groans from the blonde. She coaxed the sweater over Quinn's head and stripped her own clothes before sliding onto the bed and pulling the comforter over them both.

Quinn snuggled in closer, breathing in Rachel's floral perfume and feeling the warmth of the small body against hers.

"I'm proud of you, Quinnie," mumbled Rachel, her lips brushing against Santana's forehead.

"For what?" grumbled back an exhausted Quinn.

"Chasing your dreams."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

April brought a whole new meaning to the word stress. Rachel's exhausted shoulder ached under the weight of her messenger bag as she trudged back to the apartment. It was dark out and the spring night was chilly with the wind whipping.

There were exactly four weeks until finals would be over and five weeks until Quinn would be in New York again, this time hopefully for the entire summer. It was the only thing pushing her through the grueling rehearsals and endless work for classes that seemed to cause her to never have time for a proper night's sleep.

Rachel shoved her key into the door and turned, relieved at finally being home. She was greeted by the sound of Kurt's high-pitched laughter accompanied by a much deeper voice.

She shut the door behind her and looked up to see Kurt sitting on the couch in close proximity to a head of blonde hair she knew well.

"Pierce?" she asked in confusion and waited for the blonde head to turn towards her. He turned and smiled happily at his friend and she noticed the bottle of wine that sat on the coffee table in front of them. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a night off from rehearsal and Kurt texted me to ask for some help on his project and what fun would a night be with all work and no play?" His grin was massive and Rachel didn't miss the quick glance he had shot towards Kurt. The blonde boy was smitten with her roommate, which had been obvious from their interactions at various group social events and from her brunch conversations with Pierce.

Rachel just nodded and went to the fridge, pulling out the ingredients for a salad and tossing them haphazardly into a bowl. Kurt and Pierce went back to watching some show on Bravo and Rachel ate her dinner silently at the table before retiring to her bedroom.

The laughter went on until well past midnight and Rachel tossed in annoyance at the boys. She fell asleep when the noise finally died down, but was awoken with a start at the door closing hours later. With a sleep-muddled mind, she went back to sleep but not before vowing to find out what that was about in the morning.

Kurt was whistling happily as he bustled around the kitchen the next morning making coffee. Rachel came in way behind her normal schedule, rubbing her eyes.

"Whoa, someone needs help for those eye bags!" exclaimed Kurt before reaching into his bag that was on the counter and tossing her a little bottle of cream.

"Thanks. I'm always exhausted lately and you and Pierce being up late and talking in your drunk voices didn't help," Rachel said, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

Kurt blushed furiously and busied himself with the coffee maker.

"What time did he finally leave anyway? I fell asleep way past midnight and he was still here."

"I don't know, we fell asleep on the couch together," mumbled Kurt, shoving a mug across the counter to her.

"Hmm falling asleep on the couch with boys that aren't your boyfriend. Might not want to make a habit of that, Kurt." She picked up her mug and headed back towards her bedroom. "Thanks for the coffee."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Five weeks left. Quinn knew it would be irresponsible to jump a train to see Rachel this weekend and they both had way too much going on for it to really be a feasible option. Sitting in Psych next to Jess, she found herself Googling the train schedule on her iPhone and wondering if it would be worth going for just one night instead of the whole weekend.

"Fabray, stop daydreaming and take notes for me," whispered Jess from beside her. She was wearing a sweatshirt with her hood pulled up and dark sunglasses over her eyes. It looked like she was recovering from another night of partying while Quinn was up most of the night working on her paper.

Quinn sighed and put her phone back into her pocket. Rachel had rehearsals all weekend anyway and Quinn needed to study for their Psych exam on Monday and work on her Journalism project with Derek. She couldn't just take off to New York just because she missed Rachel.

Jeff and Derek were sitting in the dining hall with some of their lacrosse buddies and Quinn waved at them and dragged Jess with her to join them. Hayley was at their normal table with some of their mutual friends and she saw Jess glance longingly towards her roommate. They were still on the rocks, but Jess was actually putting her energy into getting drunk rather than hooking up with people, so Quinn figured that was some sort of improvement. Hayley didn't seem to think so though and it just made Jess mopey and irritable when she was sober.

The boys were fun and relaxing. The only downside of sitting with them was the glare she received from Jamie as she passed by the table. She avoided Derek's eyes altogether and Quinn immediately nudged him in the ribs once she was out of sight.

"What the hell was that about?" she inquired.

"Things just didn't work out I guess," he said with a shrug. Jeff pounded him on the back excitedly.

"That means we need the Fabray wingman to come out of retirement for both of our benefit this weekend!" Jeff exclaimed excitedly. Derek didn't seem interested and played with his straw.

"I don't know, Jeff. I have so much work to do. Partying wasn't really in my weekend plan."

"Don't be a buzz kill, Quinn! Your bro totally needs your help. We don't let girls be bros every often for obvious reasons and we made a special exception for you, so don't you go and break bro code causing for your expulsion from bro-hood." Quinn had to smile at Jeff's enthusiasm.

"It's cool, Jeff. I don't really feel like going out this weekend anyway," said Derek, glancing off in Jamie's direction. She was sitting with her sorority sisters, all of whom seemed to be taking turns glaring at him.

"Hell no, dude! You are not sitting in the dorm room moping around because Jamie is a jealous bitch that doesn't trust you."

"Huh?" asked Quinn with sudden interest.

"Just drop it," mumbled Derek, pushing his chair back. "I need to go to class."

Quinn dropped it, but Jeff opened his mouth to retort before she stomped on his toes and he squeaked in pain. Derek walked out of the dining hall without another work.

Jeff had the decency to look slightly ashamed, but Jess burst into laughter. Quinn just arched an eyebrow at her friend and didn't ask about it.

Jess followed Quinn into her room when they got back to the dorm that afternoon and made herself at home on Quinn's bed as usual. Quinn just dove into her e-mails and turned the music on like most afternoons. Jess would sing along softly and once in a while would even do her own work while waiting for the off chance that Hayley would return as she sat there.

Today's e-mail had a really long one from Rachel, one from Santana, and one from someone named Joshua Clark. Curious, she opened the last one first and scanned down it quickly.

"YES!" she yelled excitedly, throwing in a fist pump for good measure.

"Huh?" asked Jess, looking up from her game of Angry Birds.

"I got the internship I wanted in New York for the summer. You're looking at the newest photography assistant to Daniel Shelski, one of the top fashion photographers in Manhattan."

"That's awesome, Q," replied Jess, actually showing a little enthusiasm at the announcement.

"I need to call Rachel!" she grabbed her phone and headed into the hallway.

The line rang until Rachel's voicemail picked up and Quinn left an excited voicemail before hanging up and immediately dialing Santana's number.

"What?" came Santana's cranky voice from the other end of the line.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" asked Quinn in mock concern.

"Besides not having seen my girlfriend in two weeks and she is leaving on tour next week for practically the whole summer you mean?" Santana rarely actually shared her emotions so this situation with Brittany was obviously taking a huge toll on her.

"I'm sorry, San, that totally sucks."

"You're not going to tell me to grow a pair and that you and Rachel deal with it all of the time like you normally do?"

"Just because I know what you're going through doesn't mean that I think you're a baby for struggling with it. I sat in class today and looked up trains to go to New York this weekend even though I know it's not possible. I think about seeing her all the time but I never get to. And it fucking sucks, Santana. So yeah, you will have to get used to it but I never said you had to like it."

They were quiet on the like for a couple of minutes. Quinn heard Santana's even breathing, so at least she wasn't crying on the other end. She hated that they could only be there for one another from three thousand miles away.

"Thanks, Q," said Santana softly. "What's up with you?"

"I got the internship I wanted in New York for the summer." She didn't want to brag about getting to spend the whole summer living with Rachel when Santana was going to be losing Britt. "You should try to come visit."

"I'm proud of you, you know."

"I know. Is this a good time to also tell you that I'm going to London for the fall semester to study photography under this amazing guy?"

"Shit, Q. New York, London. Next you'll tell me you're moving to Paris or something." Quinn laughed heartily.

"Paris is too far from my best friend. Hell, Los Angeles to New York is too damn far."

"Amen to that, bitch. I have to go study though, all of my shit is still inside the library."

"Alright, San. Love you."

"Love you too, Q."

She returned to her room to find Jess sprawled out on her bed.

"Trouble in paradise for your Latin Jess wannabe?" asked Jess twirling a pen between her fingers.

"Fuck off, Sanford. Santana came before you, so at best you're a white Santana wannabe. Second of all, she has a legitimate reason to be worried about her relationship, whereas you are just self-destructing and blaming everything else to have a reason why Hayley doesn't want to get back together with you."

Hayley took that as the opportune moment to walk into the room. Jess started to fume visibly and stomped out before any of them could speak.

"She's your friend too, Quinn, you don't constantly have to fight with her over me."

"This one was well deserved. She insulted Santana and I'm really getting sick of this version of Jess."

"Jess will figure herself out. We kissed a couple of weeks ago and I've been a wimp so we haven't dealt with it so I'm sure that's probably a contributing factor lately."

"Whatever, I'm not getting wrapped up in her drama. But I am going to be in New York for the summer because I got the internship with David Shelski that I wanted," Quinn said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Quinn, that's so exciting! Congratulations!" Hayley wrapped her arms around Quinn's shoulders in a tight hug. "We should go out and celebrate tonight."

"Hayls, that sounds like a superb plan."


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: I've been struggling a little bit with this story lately, but my girlfriend has been riding me to work on it so she can read it, so you can thank her for the update ;)**

**Chapter 48**

Hayley was a totally different type of person to go out with. Jess would disappear into the crowd at the first decent looking girl in a short skirt and would leave Quinn to fend for herself. Hayley stuck close to her side, her arm linked in Quinn's as they pushed their way through the crowd. It took three beers to convince Hayley to join her on the dance floor and she was modest, keeping a safe distance between her hips and Quinn's, her hand propped lightly on Quinn's shoulder.

They still attracted attention because it was hard to ignore two beautiful girls in tight dresses dancing together. Quinn wasn't surprised when she felt a guy press up against her back and was about to spin around to tell him off when Hayley started giggling.

"It's just Derek," she said into Quinn's ear and kept moving to the beat. Quinn watched over her shoulder as Jeff approached Hayley and looked at Quinn for approval. She nodded with a laugh.

"His roommate Jeff is moving in on you. He's a really cool guy," Quinn said back before reaching back and putting her hand on Derek's neck, pulling his head closer to her.

"You've earned yourself some torture for that move, Derek Levey," she said into his ear as his chin rested on her shoulder. She pushed her hips back into him, her ass grinding against his groin in time with the music. She heard his breath hitch and try to distance himself slightly.

"Fuck, Q, that is so not fair. Gay girls should not be allowed to use their bodies against us," he groaned as she continued grinding again him. Jeff and Hayley were watching the scene and laughing hysterically. Quinn noted that his hands were respectfully attached to her waist and that there was a gap between their bodies.

It took less than five minutes for Derek to detach himself from Quinn's grip and head back towards the keg. Jeff was doubled over in laughter.

"His face was bright red, Q. You must have some talented hips." She smiled with pride. Celebrating was fun.

It took Derek nearly twenty minutes to return, his face back to its normal coloring. He kept his distance from Quinn, choosing instead to dance by himself. Derek only swung close enough to tell her that it looked like Hayley and Jeff were hitting it off.

Quinn observed them as she moved with the music. They were talking into each other's ears over the loud music and Hayley had been laughing and smiling all night, something Quinn hadn't seen much of since all of the Jess drama. Derek was right, there was definitely something there.

It was past three in the morning when the four of them left the party and started walking back towards the dorms. Quinn linked her arm in Derek's and he smiled down at her, have forgiven her for her earlier teasing. Hayley and Jeff walked a little bit ahead of them, her hand resting comfortably on his forearm as they giggled the whole way back.

The boys stopped in front of Hayley and Quinn's dormitory. Derek hugged her and Quinn walked over to hug Jeff before walking to the entrance and waiting there for Hayley. Hayley said a quick goodbye to Derek before giving Jeff her number and accepting a kiss on her cheek before the boys took off in the direction of their own dorm.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Rachel sat in the café sipping her chai tea and waiting impatiently for Pierce to arrive. It had become a weekend ritual and she hadn't seen much of him lately unless he was at their apartment with Kurt until all hours of the night.

He showed up with his face scruffy, obviously having skipping shaving and bags under his eyes.

"Late night?" she asked, glancing down at her watch. He was ten minutes late.

"Yeah, I went to this great gay club with Kurt and some of his FIT friends," Pierce said, thanking the waitress that immediately delivered a mug of coffee and a bloody mary to the table for him.

"You are aware that he's in a serious relationship, right Pierce?" Rachel said, looking at him carefully.

"Of course I'm aware, Rach," Pierce said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"So why are you spending half the night in my apartment with a guy that is obviously taken?" She wasn't relenting this morning.

"Because I like hanging out with him. He's one of the best guys I've ever met and I'm a little offended that you think I would wreck his relationship. He's made it clear that we're just friends and I'm okay with that."

"I don't think you would intentionally, Pierce. Kurt and Blaine have had problems in the past with things like this and just don't want you to get shunned to the side when Kurt is trying to make up with Blaine because Blaine will not be pleased if he finds out that Kurt is spending every night with a guy that obviously has a crush on him, even if nothing has happened."

"Is this you trying to be a supportive friend?" Pierce asked, eying her.

"I suppose you could say that. You just deserve to be involved with someone that can willingly reciprocate your feelings, rather than someone that is using you for attention because his boyfriend is twelve hours away."

"Duly noted, Rach. Now please, can we talk about something that doesn't increase my headache on this beautiful Saturday morning?" She nodded and immediately started talking about the new Broadway show opening that was opening the following month, causing him to smile gratefully at her.

After brunch, Rachel went back to the apartment to work on her homework. She unlocked and entered to hear Kurt yelling on the phone at who she assumed was Blaine. It was becoming a frequent sound in the past month and she was starting to worry for them.

He stormed out of the bedroom ten minutes later, obviously fuming. Rachel knew better than to ask; Kurt would tell her when he was ready.

It was only one in the afternoon, but Kurt pulled a bottle of wine out of the cabinet and grabbed two glasses before sitting down across from Rachel and looking expectantly.

"Kurt, it's the middle of the afternoon. I have school work to get done," said Rachel, concern painted on her face.

"Blaine and I broke up, so can you please do your best friend duties without complaint?" Rachel reluctantly accepted her glass of wine and stared at him in disbelief.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly.

"He's decided that he's not coming to New York next year. I mean it's just the breaking point I guess."

"He is giving up on NYADA before he even got his letter?" Rachel asked, trying to comprehend it.

"Yeah, well apparently he applied to a bunch of schools and NYADA was the only one in New York. He's going to college in California instead, he already sent in his decision without even talking to me."

"Kurt, I'm so sorry," was all Rachel could think to say. Blaine had seemed excited about NYADA only a few weeks ago and now he wasn't even considering going there anymore.

The afternoon wore on and Kurt went through mood swings that ranged from anger and yelling to outbursts of tears. Rachel drank as little as possible, letting Kurt take most of the bottle for herself so she could get some work done later on at least. Eventually he retired to his bedroom, hiccupping from all of his wine.

She sat there, wondering if she should try to talk to Blaine and see what was really going on. She heard Quinn in the back of her head telling her to not meddle. Instead, she turned back to her notes and avoided the urge to inform the rest of the glee club of the latest happenings.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Photography class was the only thing Quinn looked forward to with finals on the horizon. She wasn't going to get to see Rachel until she moved to New York for the summer and that was still three long weeks away.

So instead, all of her time went into her photography final project and studying for her other classes. Professor Matthews wasn't even a little surprised when she showed him the e-mail that she would be working for Daniel Shelski, but he beamed at her and started planning an outside project for her to work on to prepare.

An LGBT group on campus was going to be holding a drag queen fashion show as a fundraiser next weekend and Professor Matthews told her that they were looking for someone to photograph the event. It was a little out of her comfort zone, but he told her it would be good experience before the summer began.

When class ended, she looked up the group and sent an e-mail to the event coordinator offering her services. She was looking forward to getting to spend time behind her camera again. School had just been way too busy lately.

Quinn swung by Jess' room when she got back from class, finding her friend sitting at her desk studying with a beer in her hand.

"You don't even study sober anymore?" she asked, dropping her bag and hopping onto the bed.

"I used to drink and not study. I call this progress," said Jess with an impish grin, taking a long swig of her beer. Quinn just rolls her eyes at her.

"How do you feel about coming with me to a drag queen show on Saturday night?"

"Sounds fucking awesome. Why are you going?"

"I contacted someone about photographing the event for them. My professor thinks it would be good practice before my internship starts in a few weeks."

With Jess' agreement to come with her, Quinn headed back to her own room to start hitting the books again. She was excited for Saturday; nothing like this drag show ever happened in Lima.

She was thankful when her phone rang, saving her from the psychology flash cards scattered all over her desk.

"We have a dilemma, Quinn," Rachel said, forgoing an actual greeting.

"What are you talking about?"

"Kurt and Blaine broke up. He's a drunken mess and I don't know how to fix him."

Quinn paused for a second, picturing the scene. Kurt and Blaine always seemed so steady and they had been fine when she had been in New York just over a week ago.

"What happened?" she asked curiously, trying to gauge the situation.

"I haven't gotten the entire story, but apparently Blaine chose a college in California before he even got a decision from NYADA and he didn't tell Kurt until after he made the decision."

"Oh, shit, that's messy," she mumbled. "Hey, I'm probably photographing this LGBT fundraiser on Saturday. Any chance the two of you want to escape the city for the weekend?"

"I have so much I need to get done, but I don't see how that's going to happen if the weekend is anything like today has been," Rachel answered, pulling up her calendar on her laptop.

"It's no big deal, I just thought it might be a good break for him and an excuse to see you."

"I'll talk to him in the morning and then let you know what our plan is. I need to try to get my work done while he's passed out drunk."

"Alright, babe. I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Love you, Rach."

"Love you too, Quinnie."

Quinn hung up and checked her e-mail, excited to see that the event coordinator wanted her to do the event. Now if only Rachel would come up to Yale for the weekend, it would be perfect.

Rachel called first thing on Thursday morning saying that she was dragging Kurt to New Haven for the weekend. Quinn was excited despite the circumstances for the visit. She rushed back from class that afternoon to get work done so that she could actually enjoy some of the time with Kurt and Rachel when they arrive.

Quinn was standing in the lobby of the train station in a sundress with aviators pushed up onto her head. Her eyes were searching for her girlfriend and Kurt through the masses of weekend travelers. The board said that their train had arrived almost five minutes ago and Rachel was usually the first one to emerge.

Finally she saw them from a distance, Rachel struggling with the weight of a suitcase and her gigantic messenger bag. Kurt was wearing sunglasses and not carrying a thing. She walked briskly towards them, giving Rachel a chaste kiss before enveloping Kurt in her arms.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly, her arms wrapped around his slight build. He just shrugged and didn't respond. Rachel sighed and took his arm, leading him in the direction of Quinn's car.

The ride back to Yale was quiet. Rachel tried to make light conversation, but Kurt just fiddled with the iPhone in his lap and Quinn drummed the steering wheel, obviously uncomfortable. She led them into her dorm room, glad to see that Hayley had left a note that she was going to study late tonight. Quinn hadn't made any plans for the evening, not knowing how Kurt was going to be feeling.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent mindlessly watching reruns of Gilmore Girls and keeping Kurt away from booze. Quinn had never seen him look so down, even during the days when he was bullied constantly. He had dark bags under his eyes, his hair wasn't gelled, and she was pretty sure this was the first time that she had ever seen him in clothes that didn't match. Rachel had told her in the bathroom that he even skipped class that morning and didn't even seem concerned about it.

Dinner consisted of ordering in Chinese food, which Kurt would usually protest due to high calories, but he was just pushing his lo mein around in his container not saying anything. Rachel and Quinn were fixated on him with no idea on how to make it better.

It was Jess that showed up to lighten the mood carrying a gallon of cookies and cream ice cream and a handful of chick flicks. She tossed them to Quinn before unzippering her purse to reveal a bottle of vodka. Kurt's face lit up at the sight of the liquor and Rachel's fell – they had been trying to avoid self-medication all night.

Two shots in, Kurt started to loosen up a little and tell them about how much him and Blaine had been struggling with the distance. Even when Blaine was in New York, he could tell that things were different between them but he had been holding onto the hope that it would change when Blaine started at NYADA in the fall.

The girls listened sympathetically and talked about how much men sucked, much to Kurt's amusement. They watched Kate Hudson own it in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days as they dug into the ice cream, Rachel politely refraining from doing so.

Hayley called to say she was going to crash at her friends since they'd be up late studying, so Quinn tucked Kurt into her roommate's bed when his eyes finally started drooping. Jess said goodnight and Quinn gave her a quick, grateful hug before she left.

She had been friends with Santana and Brittany for years and she had never really been on the friend side of a breakup. The two of them kind of cared for one another, but none of their breakups with guys seemed that big of a deal. If anything, she had been the one that was prone to messy breakups. She had killed multiple cartons of ice cream on her own and judging by the way Rachel was looking at Kurt, she knew that her girlfriend had experienced the pain of a tough breakup too.

They slipped into Quinn's bed silently and the blonde held Rachel against her, stroking the long silky strands of dark hair. She had been counting the days until summer vacation so that she could have Rachel in her arms like this again. They fit perfectly, the smaller girl tucked into her tightly with her head resting on Quinn's chest. This weekend was about their friend in need, but Quinn couldn't help but be thankful that it meant she got to hold the love of her life as she fell asleep.

Quinn let Rachel and Kurt sleep in on Saturday morning. She walked to the coffee shop and picked them up breakfast and coffee, basking in the beautiful spring day. Campus was peaceful and she strolled through the sidewalks enjoying the serenity of the early morning. She was definitely going to miss this place when she was in rainy London in the fall.

Rachel was playing with her phone when Quinn got back to the room and Kurt was nowhere to be found.

"I sent him to shower, he smelled like stale vodka," Rachel said, filling her in. "Jess stopped by asking if we're still on for the drag show tonight."

Quinn smiled. Rachel actually didn't scowl as she said Jess' name this time. It was also the first time that Jess had been up before lunch in weeks, which was a feat in and of itself.

Kurt returned to the bedroom carrying his bag and actually dressed to Kurt standards today. The bags under his eyes were still prominent, but his hair was tamed and he smelled like soap and he even laughed when Quinn made a corny joke.

She forced them outside into the sunshine with a blanket to sit on the grass and have their breakfast. The weather was just way too nice to pass up. They chatted about everything except Blaine, doing their best to keep Kurt's mind off of his heartbreak.

Campus slowly started to wake up and they laughed at the people taking walks of shame or trudging to the dining hall in sweatpants, obviously hungover from the night before. Derek and Jeff walked past them on their way to the gym and they stopped to say hi. Quinn noticed that Kurt's eyes took in all of Derek as he walked away.

"Quinn, you manage to attract the most beautiful people," he said and the girls laughed.

"Derek flirted with her in their first class and she shot him down with the lesbian card," Rachel informed him, also eying up Derek as he walked away.

They laughed and chatted and laid on their backs watching the clouds float by through the canopy of leaves. Quinn ran upstairs and got her camera, snapping shots of passerby and of her friends lounging on the blanket, enjoying the relaxing afternoon. Hayley and Jess joined them after lunch and they all sat and listened to the music coming from Quinn's iPod, enjoying the company and procrastinating their work.

They ate in the dining hall that night before heading back to the room to get ready for the night. Jess once again showed up with liquor and Quinn watched her friends pregame, staying sober herself. Rachel was giddy and sporting a good buzz by the time they were leaving for the show, clinging happily to Quinn's arm.

The show was in the gymnasium, although it had been transformed. A wooden runway lined with white Christmas lights stood at one end with chairs set up all around it. There was a curtained off area that was obviously for the models to get ready and people were setting up the large spotlights.

Quinn deposited her friends in a row of seats before darting backstage to meet the coordinator of the show. She felt out of place in the back as the models and designers and show coordinators moved around, joking with one another like old friends. She found Riley, the head coordinator, wearing a headset that he was presently barking orders into. He noticed her and smiled widely when he saw the bulky camera case on her shoulder and the tripod in her hand.

"You must be Quinn!" he said with delight, taking her hand and then leaning in to kiss each of her cheeks. She blushed at the gesture, but smiled at his warm personality. "Thank you so much for doing this!"

"It's my pleasure, really. I can't wait to see the show," she said genuinely. Lima simply didn't have things like this. The only time she had ever seen a drag queen was walking back to Rachel's apartment one night while she was visiting in the city.

"Let me introduce you to everybody!" He had a bubbly enthusiasm to him that reminded her instantly of Rachel and she found herself enjoying the boy's company as he showed her around. She was surprised to find out that not everybody involved with the show was in the LGBT club; a lot of them were simply supporters that wanted to help out.

Once she had met basically every person, he excused himself to make sure everything was running as it should and left her to prepare in whatever ways she needed. She made her way back out to the front of the runway and was impressed to see the room filling up quickly. Jess, Hayley, Kurt, and Rachel waved at her as she walked along the stage, trying to spot the best place to set up. She blew them a kiss before hopping down and striding towards the spot she had picked.

Photographing a runway show was a lot different than anything she had done before. They were moving models and they weren't posing specifically for her so she couldn't ask them to angle their chin or look in a different direction. The crowd was loud and cheered loudly as each model strutted down the wooden runway. She skirted around the edges of the stage, trying to get as many good angles as possible.

The camera was heavy and her arms exhausted by the time they reached the final model. Sweat shined brightly on her forehead from running back and forth for the last hour. The final model finished their walk to rambunctious applause and Riley appeared on stage with a microphone in hand. He thanked the crowd and talked a little bit about the club before waving goodnight.

Rachel appeared at her side with Kurt in tow and kissing her cheek, laughing at the sweat that had collected there. Quinn handed her the camera and kissed her before saying that she'd be right back.

Backstage, the models and coordinators alike were cheering as they began to strip out of the clothes and pack up. She found Riley easily and sidled up beside him.

"Thanks again, Quinn!" he said cheerfully, wrapping her in a hug and kissing her cheeks again.

"Thank you, Riley. I think I got a bunch of great shots; I'll be sure to get you a copy of them as soon as I can. If you need me again, give me a shout. I had a really good time tonight." He winked at her and hugged her goodbye before moving back amongst the crowd.

She slipped out onto the stage, facing the nearly empty room. The big spotlights had been shut off, but the Christmas lights still twinkled on the edge and Jess whooped loudly as she walked down the runway with her HBIC strut. Rachel and Kurt were giggling as Jess continued to wolf-whistle. It had been a really great night.

Rachel and Kurt had an early train back to the city in the morning, so they went straight back to the dorm, leaving Jess and Hayley as they headed to some party on the other side of campus. Rachel's fingers were wrapped in hers as she skipped happily, her other hand linked onto the crook of Kurt's elbow.

"It's a whole different world out here, isn't it?" said Kurt softly. "Can you imagine having a drag queen show in Lima?" We all giggled. It was preposterous to think that a drag show in Lima would be well received. The Midwest had plenty of gay kids as shown by our very own glee club, but it was still immensely close-minded when compared to New York and Yale.

Quinn gave Kurt her bed before pulling out a sleeping bag and some extra throw blankets and making a little nest on the floor for her and Rachel. The brunette look exhausted and she snuggled into Quinn as soon as she finished her insane nightly rituals. Quinn had already tucked herself under the blankets and made herself as comfortable as she could on the floor. Kurt was breathing deeply and evenly, having fallen right to sleep. Rachel sighed as she rested her head on Quinn's chest and let the blonde's arms wrap around her tightly.

"I wish we could fix things for him," she said quietly.

"I know, Rach. I wish we could, but he needs to figure this out for himself. We just need to be there for him no matter what happens." Rachel nodded against Quinn's chest before snuggling closer and letting herself drift off.

They were standing in the train station waiting for Rachel and Kurt's train to board. It was early Sunday morning and Quinn was exhausted. Her back hurt from sleeping on the hard floor and the coffee in her hand felt like the only thing that was holding her together this morning.

"I'm going to stay in New York for the summer," Kurt announced. "I'm going to go home for a week after finals because I already promised my dad, but other than that I want to stay in the city if that's okay with you two."

"Of course, Kurt!" said Rachel excitedly.

"I know you two are planning this amazing romantic summer and I don't want to impede on that after I said I wouldn't be in the apartment," he said shyly, avoiding their eyes.

"Nonsense, Kurt. I'm going to be working like crazy with my internship and hopefully you and Rachel can find jobs. It'll be a fun summer together." He looked grateful that they weren't upset about him staying in the apartment with them. "You might want to buy better noise-cancelling headphones though," she added with a devilish smirk.

The PA system announced that their train was now boarding. Kurt pulled her into a hug and she hugged him back.

"Thanks for this weekend, Quinn. I really needed it," he said softly into her ear.

"It's what friends are for, Kurt," she said simply, releasing him from the hug. Rachel didn't miss the opportunity to jump into the vacant arms of the blonde.

"Three more weeks, Quinnie," she whispered excitedly into the blonde hair. "Three more weeks until you're mine all the time."

"I love you, Rachel Berry. Call me when you're back safely." She held on tightly to the bubbly brunette, but pulled back when their train was announced for a second time.

"I love you too, Quinn," she said, leaning up to place a soft kiss on Quinn's lips. Quinn handed her the handle of the suitcase and kissed her once more before shooing them in the direction of their platform. Kurt gave her a little wave and a smile before they disappeared down the stairs towards the train.

Quinn collapsed into her bed for a couple of hours when she got back to her dorm since Hayley was still sleeping. It was noon when she woke again and she rubbed her eyes tiredly. Rachel had texted her to say that they were back and she smiled at the picture that was attached. It was Quinn on the stage from last night, her head cheerleader smirk etched on her face with a hand placed jauntily on her hip.

After grabbing lunch quickly in the dining hall, Quinn ignored the stacks of flash cards on her desk and instead took her camera out and attached it to her computer to upload the shots from last night.

There were hundreds to go through. The first few models were okay, but she could see where she had gotten more comfortable, the shots being from better angles and her timing was better, getting the good shots at the end of the runway when they were under the most spotlight.

Being a shoe girl herself, she had made a point of getting some shots of the accessories as well as the full dresses. They were more artistic and she really liked the collection as a whole. She copied them all onto a blank disc and e-mailed Riley saying that she had them ready whenever he had a chance to pick them up.

Finally, she could put off her schoolwork no longer. She grabbed a large handful of the flash cards and collapsed onto her back on her bed, trying to memorize the terms and important contributions of various psychologists.

_Three more weeks. Just get through these few weeks of school and then you'll have a summer of living with Rachel and working for a bigwig photographer._

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Kurt was still broken up over Blaine, but his mood seemed to lift after the trip to Yale. Rachel came home from a late rehearsal on Monday to see him sitting at the kitchen table completely surrounded with books and notes, studying for a test. He smiled at her and tossed down his pen when she entered, looking tired but still managing to smile.

"Looks like somebody has been hard at work," Rachel commented, pulling leftover Thai food from the fridge and tossing it into a bowl and pressing buttons on the microwave.

"Life of the college student it seems," he mused, running his fingers through his short hair. "Plus Pierce wants to hang out tomorrow so I want to make sure I get through a lot today." Rachel didn't miss the glint in his eye over the idea of spending time with Pierce.

"I'll leave you to it; I have a ton of work to do myself," she said, pulling a fork from the drawer and extracting her now warm Thai from the microwave before heading into her bedroom.

She checked her e-mail as she ate, wondering if Pierce was aware of the Kurt/Blaine breakup. Their Facebook statuses had only changed that afternoon. She hadn't even been on Facebook, but she had received texts from most of the glee club members wanting the inside scoop from Kurt's end on what had happened. Of course, she had avoided joining the gossip mill and had responded cordially that it was for Kurt and Blaine to know and share if they wished. That had caused her to receive a few annoyed comments, particularly from Santana who seemed to have a need for gossip now that Brittany was officially out on tour.

The last few weekends had been so busy that she hadn't gotten to have brunch with Pierce and she made a mental note to call him to see if he wanted to meet for coffee this week before things got even crazier with finals.

Quinn had e-mailed her a couple of pictures from the drag show and Rachel admired them. They were fun and definitely captured the spirit of the night, but she couldn't help but notice that Quinn seemed to fixate on details that she had completely overlooked while watching the show.

One shot was of a four-inch pump in sparkling silver; one was of the intricate headpiece from the side, completely obscuring the model's face. Rachel had been there admiring the outrageous outfits and the models, but had overlooked things like shoes and accessories that really brought the whole thing together. Quinn had a gift for seeing the little things that everybody else seemed to miss.

The last picture was a goofy one that Quinn had taken of the two of them when they laid outside in the quad on Saturday afternoon. Rachel's large sunglasses were over her eyes and her hair was blowing to the right from the breeze. Her face was squished against Quinn's cheek, who had a huge cheesy smile on her face, hazel eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun. It was dorky and ridiculous, but she loved it. They just looked so happy. Rachel printed it and immediately tacked it up above her laptop, her eyes focused on Quinn's smile and feeling it warm her heart as she settled in to write her manuscript for class.

She wasn't surprised to find Pierce on their couch when she returned home the next night. Both Kurt and Pierce had textbooks out and seemed like they were attempting to get work done, but ended up in giggle fits instead. It was nice to see Kurt smiling genuinely. Pierce was sitting a little further away from him than usual and they weren't as flirty as usual. At least they had some sense to not rush into whatever they might be. Kurt was just getting out of a two-year relationship and Pierce seemed to be trying to respect that, even though his blue eyes never left the smaller boy beside him.

Rachel sat and ate dinner at the coffee table, chatting with the boys. Both were in good moods despite the huge pile of schoolwork in front of them. She knew her own massive amount of work was sitting on her desk and she dreaded it, once again mentally counting the days until it would be done. It was the last week of classes and next week would be presentations and finals. Quinn would be here the week after that once Yale finished their finals.

Pierce didn't stay over as late that night, leaving a little before midnight. Rachel was still up studying and Kurt knocked quietly on the door, obviously having seen the light come from within. She beckoned him to enter and he did, lying down on his stomach across the bed, his chin propped on his hand as he looked at her. She dropped her pen onto her desk and spun her chair to face him.

"What's up?" she asked, taking him in. He had changed into his pajamas and his face was washed and moisturized already.

"I miss Blaine so much," he said, letting out a large sigh.

"I know, Kurt," she said quietly, moving to slide onto the bed next to him, staring at her white ceiling.

"I miss him so much and I'm still so angry that he's not going to be here with me next year. But then how is it possible that I also have room to like Pierce?" His voice cracked with his question, emotion taking over.

"Because Pierce is a really great guy and how he makes you feel makes losing Blaine feel a little less painful."

"I shouldn't have feelings for another guy less than a week after my breakup. I know it's not right, but it's there. I'm counting the days until I'm in Lima just so that I can really talk to Blaine and try to work things out. But he's already decided that he's going to be in California next year and that isn't going to change."

"You're right, his mind is already made up about college. But that doesn't mean it's completely made up about the future of your relationship with him. And even if it is made up, at least you can sit down and get some actual closure rather than a screaming match over a phone line."

"Thanks, Rachel. You've become a really a good friend this year."

"I'm going to hug you now," she said and he gave her a watery smile before complying.

Kurt said goodnight and went to his own room, leaving Rachel on the bed, her motivation to work lost. She slipped into her pajamas and padded to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Once cuddled under the comforter, she reached for her phone. After her alarm was set for tomorrow morning, she opened a new text message.

**I don't tell you enough how much I love you. Sleep tight, Quinnie. I'm counting the days until you're here.**


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: School is officially out until September! My girlfriend is quickly booking up all of my free time, but I'm hoping it means I'll have more time to update in the coming weeks on both of my stories. Happy summer :)**

**Chapter 49**

It was weird to be in the library with Jess. For someone who never seemed to take notes or do anything, she managed to have a pile of study materials spread out before her and she was actually reading from a textbook. Her headphones were stuck in her ears and she tapped her pen with the beat. It was nice to see her like this. She was wearing a Yale t-shirt and cutoff jean shorts, her hair swept up in a neat ponytail. It was the Jess that had been leaning against the doorframe on Quinn's first day here, the one lacking all of the drama.

"Seriously, I know this shit is boring but you must have something better to do than stare at me, Q," she said with a smirk, looking up from her notebook that actually had writing in it amongst the doodles.

Quinn blushed at the comment, having actually been caught admiring her brunette friend.

"I'm just amazed that you actually found your way to the library during your freshman year. I thought that would at least take until we were juniors." Jess gave a hearty laugh, her eyes twinkling at Quinn.

"I'm full of surprises, Fabray. And I'm also going to kick your ass on this psychology final on Tuesday." She turned back to her notes after winking at the blonde.

Quinn smiled, thinking about how far they had all come this year. Jess had been the biggest roller coaster of her freshman year, but here they were only a week away from their summer vacation, sitting together in the air-conditioned library at 10 p.m. on a Friday night.

Jess finally dragged her from the library at midnight. They both burst into Quinn's room, laughing after hours of being pent up in a little room with no windows. Quinn noticed them first and gasped, drawing Jess' attention. Hayley was in her bed on top of a guy. Jess' jaw dropped comically wide and Quinn realized she recognized that mop of brown hair.

"Oh my God," said Hayley, her face turning scarlet. She buried it into Jeff's shoulder. Quinn was happy to note that all of their hands seemed to be accounted for; Hayley's were on either side of Jeff's head and Jeff's hands were still entwined in her curly hair. All clothes also seemed to be on their respective owners, making the situation much less awkward.

"Let's go to my room, Q. Hayley needs to get some," Jess said with a shrug, pulling her backpack up onto her shoulder before taking Quinn's arm and dragging her from the room.

Keagan had left a note on their whiteboard that she was in the study lounge downstairs and Jess pushed open the door, flicking the light on and dropping onto her bed with a thud.

"You okay?" Quinn asked, not sure how to approach what they had just seen.

"Fine, actually. Hayley's an awesome girl, but we don't fit the way you and Rachel do. I've known that it's been over for a while," Jess said casually, picking up the remote and turning the TV on.

Quinn sighed in relief of not having to take care of an emotional Jess tonight. She plopped down on the bed next to her friend and basked in the silent comfort that had grown between them.

"How do you feel about living together next year?" Jess mused nonchalantly.

"Jess, I'm going to be in London, remember?"

"I talked to Res Life about getting a roommate that is going abroad in the Spring, so when she leaves you can move in." Jess had actually put thought into this plan.

"Do you really think that this is a good idea?" Quinn asked tentatively.

"We're friends, Q. Why wouldn't it be fine?"

Quinn raised her eyebrow at her friend. They had history that had spanned the entire length of their freshman year, but Jess was completely comfortable with living together next year.

"Can I think about it?" Quinn asked.

"You mean can you have time to talk to Rachel about it," restated Jess, a hint of resentment in her voice.

Quinn just sighed. It would be nice to not have to live with a stranger when she got back from London, but she wasn't sure that it was really worth dealing with a jealous Rachel and the many faces of Jessica Sanford.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

In four days, Rachel's freshman year at NYADA would be complete. It had been hard, but completely worth it. Her only worry was her lack of summer employment. She had started to audition for small parts in off-off-Broadway productions and had put her resume into anything that had ties to theater. As much as she hated to admit it, it looked like she was going to have to start applying for jobs as a waitress or something instead of focusing just on the advancement of her career.

It was a depressing thought and Rachel tried to squash it by focusing on the last four days of school. Her written finals were done, but she still had performances and presentations before she could fully embrace summer.

She had hardly seen Kurt since their little heart-to-heart a week ago. The calendar stuck to their fridge told her that his semester finished the day after hers and that he would be flying to Ohio on Sunday morning. Quinn wouldn't be arriving in New York until the following Wednesday.

Her feet were exhausted from having spent the better part of the afternoon in the dance studio with Ashlyn to practice for her performance. Rachel dropped her dance bag on the floor of her bedroom unceremoniously before dragging herself into the shower. The hot water pounded down on her tired muscles, easing a bit of the pain she felt in them. It wasn't enough, however, and she collapsed into her bed as soon as she had pulled on her pajamas.

Sleep came quickly and the sun was peeking through her window before she woke up again. Catching a glimpse at the clock, Rachel realized that she had forgotten to set her alarm last night and leapt out of bed. Thankfully she was a natural early riser because her performance was in an hour. She dressed quickly and packed her bag. She had to settle for taking her shake on the go as she hustled over to NYADA to warm up.

Ashlyn was already there warming up when Rachel appeared looking manic. She gave her friend a weak smile before tying up her own ballet shoes and walking over to warm up.

It wasn't her best performance, but Rachel knew that her dancing as a stand-alone skill wasn't her strongest. She much preferred mixing it with her voice so that people had something else to focus on besides her dancing. As she changed after her performance, she silently hoped that it wouldn't affect her standing in the program. She was still one of the top students and she couldn't let something like dance get in the way of graduating at the top of her class. She needed that edge to break into Broadway as soon as she graduated.

She left the auditorium feeling a little down, but the sound of Quinn's special ringtone emanating from her bag cheered her up.

Quinn sounded happy on the other end when she answered.

"_Rach, I think I nailed my psych final."_

"That's great, Quinn," Rachel said, walked slowly back towards her apartment.

"_How was your performance?"_ She loved that Quinn was so into her own things, but never forgot something important in Rachel's own schedule.

"I performed barely over what could be labeled mediocre," Rachel stated, still disappointed in how her morning had gone thus far.

"_You're always so critical of your performances, Rach. I'm sure you did better than you think you did."_

"I hope so," Rachel mused. "I just want finals week to be over so that you'd be here in New York with me."

"_Eight days, babe. I'll be there as soon as I can."_

"Love you, Quinn."

"_Love you too, Rach. Call me tonight if you need a break from practicing."_

Only eight days until Quinn would be in New York playing house with her. Well, Quinn would be working and by the looks of it, she would be the one playing housewife. And considering she still could hardly cook, it wasn't going to be a pretty sight.

As if reading her mind, her cell phone rang and she saw Shelby's name light up on the screen.

"Hey, Shelby," she said, answering the phone.

"_Hi, Rachel! I know you're probably busy with finals, but I just wanted to talk to you quickly."_ Rachel smiled at hearing her biological mother's voice despite her conflicting emotions. Beth was squealing over something in the background.

"Of course. What is on your mind?"

"_I know I offered a few months ago to help you with getting a job and Hiram mentioned that you still hadn't found anything for the summer. I know that you don't want anything handed to you that you haven't earned and that's admirable, Rachel. You're talented and I believe in you. I just wanted to let you know that I have a friend that is a manager at the Minskoff Theatre and he's looking for a theater intern. If you're interested, you should go over and put in your application and if you want to, you're welcome to use my name. I didn't mention you to him at all because I didn't want to step on your toes."_

Rachel had to giggle at Shelby's rambling because it was just like the way she often talked when she was nervous.

"I really appreciate you leaving this up to me, Shelby. I will go apply after my final on Thursday. The Lion King isn't the ideal show for me to intern on, but I would really like to get experience in the field."

"_Well if there is anything I can do to help you, just let me know. Break a leg on your final and I'm sure I'll see you when you come to Lima in August. I know Beth can't wait to see you and Quinn."_

"Thanks again, Shelby. I'll speak with you soon."

Rachel felt a little better when she hung up with her mom. She didn't want to take any favors from Shelby after everything they had been through. Shelby had already written her the recommendation that most likely sealed her acceptance to NYADA. It had been years of riding a roller coaster on how to handle a relationship with her mother. But it couldn't hurt to apply and she had a couple of days to think about how much of her mother's influence she wanted to use.

It was early, but she planned on practicing most of the next day for her vocal final on Thursday, so she called it an early night.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Her freshman year was officially over. While her dance performance hadn't gone as well as hoped, her vocal performance final had been nearly flawless if she did say so herself. It had been nerve-wracking to walk back on the stage in an empty auditorium to sing only to her professor and a panel of other professors, including Madame Tibideaux, the woman who had watched her botch her original NYADA audition.

Rachel could hardly wait until she exited the auditorium to whip out her cell phone to call Quinn. She knew that her girlfriend would probably still be in her own final, but the urge was too great.

Quinn's phone was turned off and went straight to voicemail, but Rachel left her an excited message as she practically skipped back to her apartment. Kurt wouldn't be done until tomorrow, so as expected the apartment was empty when she got back.

She sat and put the finishing touches on her resume and cover page before printing them out. It was a beautiful spring afternoon in the city and she headed uptown to drop them off at the Minskoff.

As soon as she entered the office, she met Shelby's acquaintance. It had been a hard decision, but Quinn helped her decide to swallow her pride and she dropped Shelby's name in the conversation. The effect was immediate; his eyes lit up with interest and he took her resume excitedly before he bade her goodbye. She wanted to get a position on her own merit, but it was just an internship and it seemed silly to not use her connections in the industry. If anything, it was Shelby helping her after leaving her to flounder without a mother for so many years.

She grabbed takeout on her way back to the apartment and cranked up the stereo and danced around as she ate, glad to be relieved of the stress from her classes. There were still six days until Quinn would be in Manhattan and Rachel couldn't wait to celebrate the end of the school year with her. She had already planned out a romantic picnic in Central Park before Quinn started her internship the following week.

Quinn called her back and told her how proud she was that Rachel had nailed her final. The blonde sounded exhausted and stressed and Rachel knew that she still had to finish her projects for her photography classes and present one of them before her semester would end on Monday.

It was a quiet, relaxing night. Rachel finally attended to her overflowing DVR after a lengthy Skype session with her dads. She fell asleep on the couch watching The Real Housewives and only reacted when the front door opened and closed with the addition of two giggling boys.

She was groggy as the thud of their bags hit the floor by the front door and she heard the scuffling of socked feet as they made their way towards Kurt's bedroom. Kurt's high-pitched giggle rung out when another thud told her that they had run into the dining room table. The voice that followed tried to be quiet, but there was no mistaking who it was. Pierce was with Kurt and they seemed to be drunk.

Rachel laid still on the couch, not wanting to get involved with the awkwardness of the situation if the boys discovered that she was awake. It took them several long minutes of giggling, bumping into things, and the sounds of wet kisses to finally get into Kurt's room and close the door. She released the breath that she didn't even know she was holding as she tried to not listen to the noise coming from her roommate's bedroom.

She clicked off the television and padded quietly into her own bedroom, shutting the door softly behind her. Her iPod was sitting on her desk and she shoved the ear buds into her ears and turned the volume up, determined to not hear what was going on in the next room. Sleep came quickly with her arms wrapped around her star-covered bear as Barbra Streisand's voice surrounded her.

Rachel was up early as always. After a long session on her elliptical, she braved the common area of the apartment to make herself breakfast. It was empty and she made her shake before plopping back down on the couch to finish her episode from last night.

Awkwardness ensued when Pierce wandered out of Kurt's bedroom wearing only his boxer shorts as he headed towards the bathroom. His blonde hair was messy and he was rubbing his eyes and didn't seem to notice her staring with her mouth agape. She heard the shower switch on and she shook the image from her head as she drank her shake.

Kurt emerged a few minutes later already dressed for the day. He had bags under his eyes and his hair wasn't as flawless as it usually was, but she was thankful for his modest clothing after seeing Pierce this morning. She said good morning and he blushed as he pulled a carton of strawberries out of the fridge.

The boys had been flirty for a long time, but it felt different actually seeing the blonde boy coming from Kurt's room. Despite living with Kurt for a year, she couldn't even remember seeing Blaine like that.

She ducked into her bedroom as soon as she finished her breakfast to avoid the awkwardness of Pierce leaving their shower and didn't re-emerge until Kurt called through that they were leaving and he would see her later.

Rachel decided to spend the day prepping for Quinn's arrival next week. She weeded out her closet to pack away the winter clothes and condensed her drawers so the blonde would have some room to move her own stuff in. Being the over-prepared person that she was, she even began a shopping list to include Quinn's favorite foods and made a list of activities for them to do over the course of the summer. She mapped out the distance to Quinn's office so she could drop off lunch on some days if she wasn't working herself. Every moment of it made her more excited about Quinn coming to New York, even if it meant that she was even closer to leaving for London.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Written finals were over for Quinn. Hayley's nose was still buried in her textbooks as she crammed for her science finals and Jess was back to doing basically nothing as she only had her Accounting final left. Written finals were the most stressful part, but now Quinn had to finish her class portfolios for both of her photography classes, as well as finish her photography concept presentation for Digital Photo. She knew that she would do well in her classes; it was practically guaranteed at this point in the semester. But Quinn couldn't help but want to do an amazing job on her photography work after how much her professors had helped her land an internship and a study abroad program. She knew she had grown as a photographer, but she still had a lingering doubt about whether she was talented enough to really consider it a viable career option.

The weather was beautiful and students were covering the lawns of Yale as she walked to the studio. Some were studying out of large books while others tossed a Frisbee between them, basking in the glow of the weekend and taking a few hours off. She had been worried to leave tiny Lima for life at an Ivy League school, but Yale was a dream come true. It was surreal that her freshman year would be over in a few days and that she was giving up New Haven for a semester in exchange for Cambridge.

A few of her classmates were also in the studio when she arrived, so she pulled her portfolio out of the cabinet and settled in at her normal table with her headphones in. She got in the zone and worked on reorganizing the pictures she had stared at for hours over the course of the semester. One thing she had learned this semester was that placement was everything in a portfolio and she couldn't rely on Professor Matthews to place them for her like she had for her internship portfolio.

The shots were diverse. His class had forced her out of her comfort zone of photographing people and she needed to showcase all of the skills she had developed throughout the semester. Each picture had a story, had meaning behind it. The portfolio as a whole needed to come together and weave those stories into one journey.

It was dark before she left the studio again, her stomach grumbling angrily at her for skipping dinner. She called Derek and the boys invited her over to hang out since they were all burnt out from studying. She was greeted with pizza when she entered their room. The boys were involved in a cutthroat game on their Xbox, so she helped herself to a slice and slid onto Derek's bed.

The game ended in Jeff throwing the controller down in frustration before grabbing a slice of pizza and biting half of it off at once. She hadn't spent much time with Derek in the past few weeks between his lacrosse schedule and the craziness of the end of the semester, so it felt good to be back in the drama-free zone of his dorm room.

Jeff left shortly after she got there and she gave him a knowing smile when he said that he was meeting up with Hayley. They weren't dating exclusively, but Quinn loved seeing how happy her roommate had been since Quinn and Jess had accidentally discovered that they were hooking up.

It had been a while since they had hung out and they fell into their easy silence as they devoured the rest of the pizza. Derek was tanned from the months on the lacrosse field, but he looked tired.

"So are you ready for New York and London?" Derek asked, stuffing the end of his crust in his mouth.

"New York, definitely. London, I'm not sure." He looked up curiously at her. "I'm excited to spend two months with Rachel and I'm sure London will be amazing, but I'm worried about how it'll work out with Rach."

"She loves you, Quinn. I'm sure you'll both find a way to make it work out."

"I hope so, Derek. The distance from Yale to NYADA had been rough and I've seen her every few weeks. I can't imagine what an ocean and four months of no visits is going to do for us."

"Then why are you going, Quinn?" It was a question Quinn had asked herself a million times over the past couple of months.

"Because I always promised myself that I would never hold Rachel back from her dreams. When the opportunity arose for me to follow my own dreams I realized that I had to make the same promise to myself that I wouldn't let her hold me back."

"If it's meant to be, it will. Plus I'm sure that Rachel is a freak in bed as it is so I'm sure after four months it'll be that much better." Quinn punched him in his arm as he laughed.

It was nice to relax after spending so many days in the library and studio and Quinn felt refreshed when she finally said goodnight to Derek and headed back to her room.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"I can't believe you're going back to Lima tomorrow. Are you ready to face Blaine?" Rachel asked, picking up her glass of wine and taking a sip. They were sitting on the roof of their building late on Saturday afternoon.

"It's inevitable. Hopefully it'll be good closure since he'll be in California at the end of the summer anyway."

"How are things with Pierce?" Rachel asked casually. She hadn't seen the blonde boy since their awkward moment yesterday morning.

"They're good. It feels a little too fast, but natural at the same time."

"He's a good guy for you, Kurt. I just hope you're not using him to replace Blaine so quickly."

"I like Pierce a lot. We're not rushing into a big relationship, but I think that's where we are heading."

"Well at least you'll have a little while to deal with everything in Lima and then you can come back to New York."

"Lima is going to be so weird without you, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, and Finn. At least it's only a couple of weeks and my dad will be happy to have me around. I think him and Carole get lonely with both Finn and I gone."

"My dads miss me too, but I have this interview on Tuesday so hopefully I'll be working for the rest of the summer. I'm going to fly in a couple of days before the lake house trip to see them."

"Well, here's to one year of craziness down!" Kurt exclaimed, holding up his wine glass. Rachel clinked hers against it and leaned back against the side of the building as they stared out over their little slice of heaven.

After dinner, Kurt convinced her to go out with him and Pierce. They met up at the club and thankfully the couple of glasses of wine from earlier had left her with a hearty buzz that took off the edge of awkwardness from seeing Pierce after yesterday. He smiled sheepishly at her and she looked away when he leaned in to give Kurt a chaste peck on the lips. It was still too fresh in her memory.

Some of Kurt's FIT friends and a couple of Pierce's friends met up with them as the evening wore on. It felt nice to get out without the stress of school or anything else weighing her down. Quinn would be working on her portfolio all weekend before she packed up to move and came to New York, so Rachel basked in simplicity of the spring night.

Kurt and Pierce were tearing up the dance floor and she had to admit that they looked good together and both of them were sporting happy smiles. She sauntered over to the bar to get another drink and a guy came up next to her, throwing a twenty-dollar bill down before she could pay for her drink. Rachel gave him a mild smile and thanked him before she turned to walk away.

"I don't even get a dance with the pretty girl?" The boy asked, his face twisting into a playful grin.

"You didn't ask if you could buy me a drink so I was unaware that I owed you anything. I'm not available, so you're wasting your time anyway."

"What kind of guy leaves his pretty girlfriend alone in a bar like this?" The boy had sidled back up to her side, his hand grazing her arm. She whipped it away.

"First of all, keep your hands to yourself. Second of all, my _girlfriend_ would kick your ass." With a swish of her long brunette hair, she stormed away towards Pierce and Kurt.

The boys laughed when she pointed out the wounded looking guy taking shots at the bar and Kurt pulled her in to dance with them.

Pierce came home with them in the wee hours of the morning, but Rachel was too drunk and tired to really analyze it. Tomorrow afternoon Kurt would be a plane bound for Lima for two weeks and they could deal with their issues after that.

Quinn had texted her a few times over the course of the night, so she texted her back before pulling on her pajamas and passing out on top of her bed.

Pierce was gone when she finally pulled herself out of her bed, her hangover calling for some aspirin and a giant mug of coffee. Kurt was looking perfectly primped as he sipped his glass of orange juice and checked his Facebook. His suitcase was already sitting by the front door ready to go to the airport in a couple of hours.

He smiles up at her from his laptop as she turns on the coffee maker and drains a bottle of water while taking the little pills.

"Fun night at least?" he asked with a grin, pulling out the chair next to him for her to collapse into.

"Too much I suppose. I don't know why we do this to ourselves. My throat is burning and I'll be lucky if I haven't caused damage to my vocal chords and my head feels like a hammer is slamming against it."

"That's what we get for drinking like freshmen for one last night." He got up and poured her coffee, placing it in front of his suffering friend.

"I have a cab taking me to the airport in two hours. Are you going to be okay here by yourself until Quinn comes down?"

Rachel nodded her head and wincing at the action. The coffee was slowly waking her up, but the aspirin still hasn't kicked in. Kurt was in a cheerful mood and Rachel tried to keep him that way before he left knowing what he was walking into back home.

The couple of hours flew by and Rachel stood on the sidewalk as Kurt loaded his luggage into the idling cab. He gave her a hug and quick peck on the cheek before pulling back.

"Let me know how things go with Blaine," Rachel told him, holding onto his arm before he got into the back of the cab.

"I will."

"Have a safe flight and text me when you get in."

"Thanks, Rach. I'll see you in a couple of weeks." He climbed into the cab and waved through the window as it pulled away from the curb and back into traffic.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Monday couldn't come soon enough. Quinn knew she was at the point that she was over thinking her projects, but she was still sitting in the studio long after everybody else had called it a night.

It was late afternoon on Sunday and Quinn laid her head down on the wooden table. She had been here all day, only stopping for a quick lunch. Quinn hadn't even answered Rachel's phone call because she was determined to finish working before giving in to distraction.

The sun was starting to set outside the window and Quinn decided that it was time to give up. She neatly packed up her portfolios and put them in the cabinet before trudging back to her dorm.

Her eyes hurt from look at her portfolio all day and she was ready for a relaxing night before her last presentation in the morning. Hayley was missing, which wasn't surprising since she still had a bio final tomorrow, so Quinn grabbed her shower caddy and immersed herself in the hot water.

_You are my one true love_

_You are the voice that is so sweet_

_In everything I do, you bring the best out of me_

_You are my wings to fly_

_You are the wind beneath them_

_I miss you every night, when I close my eyes_

_You put your feelings down_

_You stopped your tears you brought me love_

_You held to my heart_

_You held with hope to have me near_

_Sometimes I close my eyes_

_Sometimes I let my hunger rise_

_I think of all you are, you are the love of my life_

She was cut off by Jess' voice.

"You know, the first time I admitted to myself that you loved Rachel was when I heard you singing in the shower."

Quinn paused. The shower was always the place Quinn had sung without abandon. Glee was great, but she was primarily scenery there behind her friends. She had been a shower singer long before glee was even a blip on the radar. It was a habit that still hadn't died.

"You've got a beautiful voice, Quinn. And even though I only get to hear it once in a while in the shower, it's obvious that you're singing about Rachel."

The door opened and closed again and Quinn was alone in the bathroom again. Jess didn't seem upset like she had in the past over Rachel. She felt like her and Jess were finally moving forward in their friendship.

She finished conditioning her hair and finished her song before getting out of the shower. After pulling on a pair of Cheerio shorts and a Yale sweatshirt, she picked up her phone to see another missed call from Rachel.

"Hey, baby," she said when Rachel picked up on the first ring.

"_Quinnie! I've missed you all day!"_

"I was finishing up my portfolios. I just need to hand them in and present tomorrow and then I'm officially done."

"_I'm sure it's perfect. You'll be fine, Quinn. Just make sure you get a full night's rest."_

"I think you're the only 19 year old that actually makes time for a full night's sleep, Rach," Quinn said with a laugh.

"_It is imperative to be well-rested, especially when you have a big presentation in the morning. Honestly, I don't know how you managed to become valedictorian over me with your lackadaisical approach to a proper regimen."_

"I think I managed that by getting better grades than you did." Rachel huffed at her.

"_Well, either way I know you'll do amazing tomorrow and then we just need to get through two more days until you're here with me."_

"Bored already, Rach? Kurt only left this morning."

"_I have an interview on Tuesday at the theatre I was telling you about. So preparation for that has kept me busy for most of today and it is my focus for tomorrow."_

"That's awesome, baby. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Quinn. You should be getting to sleep though so you can be well rested. Call me tomorrow and let me know how it went."

"Alright, Rach. Love you."

"_I love you too, Quinn. I can't wait to see you on Wednesday."_

"Me neither. But only a couple more days until you're in my arms where you belong."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Manhattan is the best city in the world, yet Rachel felt lonely and bored. Kurt was back in Lima and had called to say that he was meeting Blaine for dinner tonight. Rachel had spent all day on Sunday cleaning the apartment and prepping for her interview on Tuesday.

Well Tuesday had come and her interview seemed to go really well. She was really early in true Rachel Berry fashion. With the help of Quinn and Jess via Skype, she was dressed in what apparently came off as stylish yet professional. The guy that interviewed her was James Waters. He apparently had been working on an off-Broadway production that Shelby had been in and he seemed ecstatic to have Rachel in the office. Overall, she left his office feeling good about it.

Quinn was done with her semester and was in packing mode. She had said that her presentation went well and she went out partying with her friends last night to celebrate the end of the semester.

The apartment was still as empty as it had been when she had left for her interview. With a sigh, she flopped onto the couch and started flipping through channels. It was beautiful outside, a perfect May afternoon but Rachel didn't feel like wandering through Central Park and seeing all the happy couples while she was waiting for her own Cinderella to get here. Rachel was impatient and she only had a couple of short months until Quinn would be gallivanting through Europe without her.

The buzzer went off and Rachel walked over to it, confused who could be visiting in the middle of an afternoon.

"Hello?" She said, pushing the button on the intercom.

"I could really use your muscles to lug all of this stuff up to our apartment."

"Quinn!"

Rachel slipped her feet into a pair of flip-flops and grabbed her keys from the counter before flying down the stairs. Her Quinn was standing there in one of her adorable floral print sundresses with big sunglasses covering those sparkling hazel eyes.

Some of her bags were already sitting on the sidewalk beside her and she held her arms open for Rachel to run into. Quinn held her there, letting the surprise sink in.

"You're not supposed to be here until tomorrow!" exclaimed Rachel, her face still buried in Quinn's shoulder.

"Well I packed quickly and I figured I could get an extra day with my pretty girl."

Rachel finally pulled away and smiled at Quinn before leaning up to kiss Quinn's lips. Quinn kissed her back, her hands on Rachel's cheeks.

"Let's get this summer rolling," said Quinn. She picked up to two nearest bags and laughed as Rachel picked up her backpack and her smallest bag. This was going to be the best summer ever.


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: This chapter is shorter than usual, but I wanted to get an update out there. Sorry for the extended time – apparently life is more busy when I'm not working!**

**Chapter 50**

The first few days of the epic summer in the city were fun and carefree. Kurt had called that he was extending his time in Lima to two weeks, so they had the apartment to themselves. Rachel dragged Quinn to do all of the sightseeing they hadn't been able to do in the months since she had started at NYADA. They took corny tourist pictures at the Empire State Building and bought ridiculous Statue of Liberty hats and strolled down Canal Street looking at knockoff purses. Rachel brought her to all of her favorite vegan restaurants and they wandered through Times Square and down Broadway hand in hand.

Rachel got a phone call at the end of the week offering her the internship at the Minskoff Theatre. She squealed when she hung up the phone and dragged Quinn to the liquor store for a bottle of champagne to celebrate the real start of their summer.

Sunday night was quiet. Quinn had cooked while Rachel sang along with the radio and did basically nothing to help. They ate on a blanket on the rooftop and watched the sunset cuddled up against one another.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Rachel asked as she laid back into Quinn's arms, taking in the colors painted across the New York skyline.

"I think so. I'm really excited to get started."

"And I'm proud of you, Rachel Berry. Are you going to keep auditioning for shows throughout the summer?"

"We'll see how things go. Most of my performance group is going to be in New York for the summer, so at least I'll keep sharp from working with them."

"Well, here's to a great summer with a beautiful girl," Quinn said, holding up her beer bottle. Rachel raised her wine cooler and they clinked softly. They took a small sip before Rachel turned to meet Quinn's lips with hers.

"This is going to be the perfect summer."

Quinn was awake before her alarm went off the next morning. She had to be at Mr. Shelski's studio at 8 a.m. and it was just before 6. Rachel was sleeping peacefully beside her, the sheets tangled around her feet. Quinn smiled over at her, brushing the brunette hair off of Rachel's face before leaning forward and kissing her forehead softly.

She was showered and dressed and was making a pot of coffee when Rachel wandered out of the bedroom. The diva was sleepy-eyed and she was working on straightening out her twisted shorts. Quinn poured two mugs of coffee before enveloping the brunette in her arms and giving her a kiss.

"Look at how grownup we are; you're dressed for work and making coffee and I'm playing the perfect housewife."

"Honey, if you were the perfect housewife you would be making me breakfast and pouring my coffee." Rachel frowned at her, making Quinn laugh heartily. "I'm making myself an omelet. Can I interest you in some of those egg substitute things you eat?"

"I'll eat later, thanks." She took her coffee and sat at the table as Quinn tossed eggs into a frying pan as she cut tomatoes and peppers. She moved so fluidly and Rachel watched her in awe.

She sat down next to Rachel and devoured her breakfast and drained her coffee before cleaning her dishes and packing up her bag to go to work.

"I'll text you when I have some idea of my schedule for the day."

"Good look, baby. I'll be at the theatre from 2 to 7 so hopefully you'll be out so we can have dinner together."

"Thanks, Rach. Have a great first day." They kissed goodbye and Quinn headed out into the city.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Miss Fabray, it's nice to meet you." Mr. Shelski's personal assistant, Joshua greeted her when she walked into the studio from the elevator. It was a huge airy room with photography equipment everywhere. A few couches were littered throughout the room and in the front was a big, sleek receptionist's desk.

"You too, sir."

"Please, call me Joshua. Mr. Shelski should be here in about half an hour, but I told him that I would familiarize you with the studio and our process before that."

Quinn followed him behind the big desk and he gestured to an extra chair as he slid into the large leather office chair.

"I do all of Mr. Shelski's scheduling, both business and personal. We range from clients that come into this studio to client location shoots. Mr. Shelski also has connections at most of the major fashion magazines so sometimes we also have appointments at their headquarters. You'll be all over the city alongside us throughout the summer. Mr. Shelski holds his interns to a high standard and you came with excellent recommendations so I believe you're up to his demands. Do as your told, only offer opinions when asked, and pay attention. You'll learn a lot and walk away with a good contact as long as you work hard and follow directions well."

Quinn's head was spinning from Joshua's little speech. He was typing like crazy and jumping back and forth between e-mails and a really full calendar.

"Every work day is different around here. We work Mondays through Fridays, but the hours will vary every day. Today our last appointment is at one o'clock, so you'll be free after that shoot."

A guy in his late twenties came off of the elevator as Joshua finished his run down of the day. He had reflective aviators over his eyes and he had dark curls falling down over his forehead. He was dressed simply in a plain black t-shirt and light jeans with black loafers.

He pushed his sunglasses up onto his head, causing his curls to flop in every direction. His face was unreadable, but his eyes seemed curious. He gave her a tight smile and extended his hand.

"You must be Miss Fabray," he said, his voice deep and rugged.

"Yes, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Shelski." He gave her a little nod and shook her outstretched hand.

"Joshua, can you pick myself and Miss Fabray up some coffee. I'm going to run through some of the equipment before our first meeting."

"Sure, sir. How do you take your coffee Miss Fabray?"

Quinn gave him her coffee order, feeling bad that she was being treated as an employee higher up than Joshua who had been working for Mr. Shelski for years. He grinned at her as he jotted it down in his planner and headed into the elevator.

Mr. Shelski was a soft-spoken man and Quinn found herself hanging on his every word. She jotted down some notes as they went through the studio and he showed her the equipment. Some of it was similar to the equipment in Professor Matthews' studio at Yale, but a lot of it was obviously expensive and more high-tech than she was used to using.

They were almost done with the preliminary tour when Joshua returned with their coffees and handed a large paper Starbucks to each of them. Quinn thanked him warmly and he dismissed himself back to the desk.

The whole morning was a blur. Mr. Shelski had Quinn sit in on meetings with clients as he pitched shoot ideas and she sat next to Joshua as he took furious notes.

Joshua handed her a stack of menus from their most common take-out places and asked her to circle her favorite options so that he would always have an idea of what to pick up for her if they weren't available to ask and just before noon he disappeared and returned with sandwiches from the deli next door.

Lunch was quick and businesslike and then Quinn helped Mr. Shelski gather equipment for the afternoon shoot. They were shooting at a remodeled warehouse and most of the big equipment had already been delivered to the location yesterday, but Quinn had an armful of equipment that she brought down to the town car. Mr. Shelski and Joshua spent most of the car ride on the phone, so she took the opportunity to send Rachel a quick text message before they got onto the set.

The warehouse was abuzz with energy when they arrived. Quinn hadn't gotten much detail about the shoot, but she helped unload the equipment and watched as the men set it up for Mr. Shelski, who was sitting in a chair talking to a man in a suit.

He waved her over and introduced her to the man. Apparently it was the client's manager and this particular shoot was going to be featured in Glamour magazine. The set was pretty bare with very few props. The backdrop was set to stark white. The model stepped out fifteen minutes later and Quinn nearly dropped the camera she was setting up at the sight. Standing twenty feet from her was Megan Fox.

Mr. Shelski gave her directions and she jumped to attention, helping in any way possible as he started shooting, talking to Megan to set up each shot. He moved fluidly and was constantly changing his angles. It was obvious he had a vision, even if Quinn wasn't exactly sure what it was.

The shoot was shorter than she had thought, ending around four in the afternoon. The guys packed up the equipment and she took care of the cameras as Mr. Shelski talked to Megan and her manager. As soon as he was done, he walked back over to Joshua to discuss some details about tomorrow before gesturing to Quinn to follow him out to the town car. She grabbed the cameras and headed out behind him.

"You did a good job today, Quinn. It can be a fast-paced business and I won't always have time to explain what I'm doing or thinking in the moment. Today was a particularly tight shoot, but we don't have a shoot until ten tomorrow morning so I'd love to meet at eight so I could go over today's shoot with you and catch you up to speed."

"I'll be there, Mr. Shelski. Thank you so much."

"Joshua called you a town car to take you home from here. I'll see you in the morning."

She thanked him again and shook his hand before a man in a suit opened the door of a slick black car and Mr. Shelski gestured for her to get in. Quinn gave the driver the address of Rachel's apartment and tried to get control of her excitement. She was working for one of the best photographers in the business, she got to be five feet from Megan Fox, and now she's riding home in a private town car.

Since she was home early, she walked to the little grocery store and picked up some fresh vegetables. By the time Rachel walked in at seven-thirty, she had thrown together a vegan stir-fry and the table was set and ready to eat. Rachel glided over to her and swept her into a passionate kiss before they settled in at the table.

"How was your day?" Quinn asked, scooping some rice onto her plate before passing the bowl to Rachel.

"It was intense. There's so much going on behind the scenes of a major production and I barely got to scratch the surface today. How about you?"

"Really fast-paced and amazing. Oh, and I got to watch Mr. Shelski do a photography shoot of Megan Fox." Quinn said it nonchalantly, taking a sip of her water. Rachel dropped her fork with a clatter and stared at her as Quinn tried to hold back her smile.

"This is definitely going to be the coolest summer ever."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

The rest of the week was just as hectic. Quinn went all over Manhattan with Mr. Shelski for client appointments, pitches, and shoots. Every morning, they met at his studio to discuss the day before and she took frantic notes, determined to absorb it all.

Rachel was having her own crazy days at the theatre. She was learning all about the industry that she had loved for so many years and the books she had read on Broadway didn't do the experience justice.

"I have tickets for the show tonight after work if you want to meet me." The girls were lying in Rachel's bed on Saturday morning having just woken up.

"Yeah, I could do that. I miss you," Quinn said, rolling onto her back and pulling Rachel into her.

"I miss you too. I never thought this summer would be so hectic. I have to work until about seven and the show is at eight, so we could grab a quick dinner by the theatre."

"Sounds perfect, Rach. Now I need some coffee," Quinn replied, trying to roll out of the bed. Rachel held onto her t-shirt.

"Not yet," she whined. "I only have a couple of hours before I need to leave for work." Quinn gave in readily and let Rachel pull her back down onto the bed.

Quinn let Rachel lay her head on the blonde's chest, basking in the comfortable silence that often surrounded them. It was surprising to Quinn at first how easy silence was with a person that seemed to love the sound of her own voice. As they became friends, she realized that Rachel actually did have a pensive, quiet side when she was comfortable and relaxed.

"Rach, you have to leave in an hour. We need to get out of bed." They had ended up drifting back off to sleep and Quinn had stirred at the sound of Rachel's phone alarm.

"Five more minutes," grumbled Rachel, her head still lying firmly on Quinn's chest, her arm thrown across the ex-Cheerio's torso in a loose embrace.

"If you get up in two minutes, I'll shower with you." Quinn knew her bribe was successful when Rachel immediately sat up and her eyes darkened.

Showering took way longer than was really necessary and Rachel bounded into the bedroom to get dressed for work. Quinn grabbed a big t-shirt and threw it on before heading into the kitchen to make some coffee and breakfast.

Rachel emerged fully dressed with her hair and makeup done to perfection to greet Quinn sitting at the table with her coffee and checking her Facebook on her phone. She snapped off her phone at the sight of her girlfriend's swaying hips and hopped up to capture Rachel's lips in a delicate kiss that quickly was turning deeper.

"I have to go, Quinn," Rachel breathed against Quinn's mouth. Quinn kissed her again.

"Stay with me instead," Quinn whined, looping her arms around the brunette's waist.

"I'll see you at 7 at the theatre. Thanks for breakfast." Rachel grabbed the travel mug of coffee and the Tupperware container of fruit salad Quinn had left on the counter for her. With another kiss, she pulled her keys from the hook by the door, gave a little wave, and disappeared from the apartment.

Quinn finished her coffee before trying to figure out what to do with her day off without Rachel. She got dressed and ran a brush through her short blonde hair before slinging her camera bag over her shoulder and heading out to explore the city.

She worked for a photographer, a pretty famous and very talented one at that, but she had hardly held a camera all week. There was no doubt that she was learning, absorbing nearly everything that Mr. Shelski did on set and from their discussions each morning. But Quinn missed the feeling of a camera in her hands as she adjusted the lens to capture a moment.

It was hot and sticky out today and Quinn could feel the beads of sweat running down her back as she walked to the subway station. The subway was even hotter and very stuffy and she was glad when it dropped her off at 77th street on the Upper East Side. She walked the three city blocks until she hit the greenery of Central Park.

Central Park had been her favorite part of coming to the city for glee. It was truly this oasis built amongst a bustling city. Despite the heat, the park was full of people walking their dogs, playing with their kids, lying out on the grass working on their tans. Quinn wandered down the path, people watching and drinking in the relaxation of a day off.

Eventually she ended up by the Bethesda fountain. People were rowing on the lake; others were sitting on the edge of the fountain. A few teenage boys were putting on a hip-hop street show. Quinn pulled out her camera and started snapping pictures of the strangers: a little boy with ice cream dripping down his chin, one of the performers break dancing, a teenage couple strolling with hands linked.

She continued to wander through the park, snapping the shutter on her camera at every opportunity at the park passerby, at the ducks swimming in a line on the lake, at the dog panting under a large oak tree. Eventually she had wandered across the park and re-emerged into the city streets in Lincoln Square. She grabbed a quick sandwich at a deli, basking in the small air-conditioned shop before taking to the streets once more.

Quinn was drawn to Broadway. Broadway meant Rachel Berry and Rachel Berry was happiness. The streets were crowded in the early afternoon heat and Quinn bustled along with them down Broadway. She strolled through the theater district with no real direction. It was here that Rachel's dreams were sure to come true. Right now she was working fifteen blocks south as an intern. Within the next five years, Quinn knew that she would be performing on one of the stages that sat along the road.

"Mommy, some day I'm going to work in there!" A little girl about eight years old in a hot pink tutu and a matching tank top stood on the sidewalk and pointed at the theater in front of her, the other hand sitting jauntily on her hip.

Quinn was in the presence of a miniature Rachel Berry. Without thinking, Quinn walked over to the family. Her mother and father were staring at their tiny diva daughter with adoration and Quinn was reminded by the smiling faces of Hiram and Leroy.

"Excuse me," Quinn said and the three of them turned to face her. "I hear you're going to be a star someday. Can I take your picture in front of the theater so I can tell everybody I know you when your career takes off?"

The girl's face lit up and Quinn smiled at her. She looked at her parents for permission. They nodded and the little girl squealed and ran to stand under the sign.

Quinn lifted her camera and took in the small girl's face. She had a megawatt smile pasted across it and she was standing so that Quinn would photograph her left side. She snapped a couple of shots before lowering the camera.

"What's your name?" Quinn asked, kneeling down to the girl's height.

"Emily Hoffmann," the little girl responded animatedly, standing tall.

"Well, Emily Hoffmann, I can't wait to see your first show on Broadway." Quinn held out her hand and the little girl shook it firmly.

Her parents shook Quinn's hand too and her dad slipped her his business card, asking if she could e-mail him the pictures. She assured him that she would before waving and walking away.

It was already four in the afternoon, so Quinn headed back to the apartment to get ready for date night with Rachel. She took a shower and tossed on a tank top and shorts until it was time to go. She sat on the couch with her computer on her lap. The dinging noise of her Skype alert went off and she saw Santana's icon light up on her screen.

"Hey stranger!" she said after accepting and having Santana's face fill her screen.

"Hey, Q," said Santana. Quinn took a good look at her best friend. She looked different somehow.

"What's going on?" Quinn asked, fiddling with the hem of her t-shirt and taking in Santana's pale face and sunken eyes.

"I fucking miss her. I'm Santana Lopez for god's sake, I don't get soft and mushy about this crap." Tears filled the Latina's eyes and Quinn's heart dropped for her friend.

"It'll get easier and the tour will be over before you know it."

"Her contract still has three months on it. The only time I hear from her is the middle of night. She hasn't been settled anywhere enough to even find time to Skype with me. I haven't gone this long without seeing her face since like sixth grade."

"Are you staying in L.A. for the whole summer?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, I'm working at a coffee shop and I've been singing at some open mic nights."

"Well if you can get away, you should come visit us in New York. It'd be a good distraction for you, San. And get to the fucking beach once in a while, I've never seen you so pale before."

"I don't have Sue Sylvester's tanning privileges," said Santana with a watery smile.

"You'll be okay. Brittany loves you with everything she has, Santana."

"What if love isn't enough?"

"It's always enough as long as you choose to believe in it," replied Quinn

"Thanks, Q," Santana said quietly.

"Anytime. And I mean it. Go out in the freaking sun, you look sick." Santana laughed and blew her a kiss before disconnecting the call.

At ten to seven, Quinn was standing outside of the Minskoff in a knee length black dress and black heels, her blonde hair falling casually over her ears. She gripped her clutch and glanced at her watch for the thirtieth time willing Rachel to emerge from the doors.

Seven on the nose, Rachel walked purposefully out the front door and planted a kiss on Quinn's cheek. Quinn handed her the single red rose and Rachel beamed at her with adoration.

"You look beautiful, Quinn," she breathed, leaning up to give Quinn a chaste kiss on her lips.

"As do you, love," said Quinn with a smile, taking Rachel's hand in hers and leading her down the block to the restaurant.

Dinner was quiet and calm. Rachel told Quinn all about her day at work and Quinn filled Rachel in on her walk and the little Emily Hoffmann that was destined to be the next Rachel Berry. Rachel beamed at the idea of a little girl idolizing someone like her.

Quinn paid their bill and Rachel clutched her arm as they strolled back to the theater. Rachel greeted the ticket collector and introduced Quinn. He took their tickets and waved them through towards the seats. An usher also greeted Rachel with a flirty smile before walking them down to the front of the theater. Much to Quinn's surprise, their seats were only five rows back in the center orchestra.

"Rach, these seats are amazing!" she said, sitting down beside her girlfriend and taking in the huge stage and incredible theater.

"One of the perks of working here," Rachel said with a grin.

The lights flashed overhead to signal the beginning of the show and they settled back into their seats. Quinn thoroughly enjoyed it. It wasn't a typical show that Rachel would drag her to and it was refreshing. And who could really dislike anything Disney related?

The temperature had dropped in the couple of hours since they had entered the theater. It was a perfect summer night and Rachel insisted that they walk home. The city was still alive with excitement, the lights bright and the honking cabs zipping down the streets. Quinn had never thought of New York City being her future until she grew to love Rachel Berry. But with Rachel on her arm, skipping happily down the sidewalk of her favorite place in the world, Quinn knew could be her favorite place too because she always wanted to be wherever Rachel Berry was.

They were both exhausted and collapsed into bed as soon as they were changed. Rachel cuddled her head into the crook of Quinn's shoulder, her hair tickling Quinn's bare arm.

"Tonight was perfect," Rachel said quietly, wrapping her arm around Quinn's torso.

"Yeah it was," Quinn replied, lifting her hand to stroke the silky brown hair.

"Do you think this is how life will be when we're done with college? Living in a little apartment in Manhattan, working full-time towards our dreams yet finding time for romantic strolls?"

"Anything is possible with you, Rachel Berry."


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

Rachel got home late from the theatre on the following Sunday night. A note on the counter told her that Kurt had gone to Pierce's for the night. Glancing into the living room, she saw Quinn's blonde head resting on the arm of the couch, her mouth slightly ajar as she breathed evenly in her sleep.

In the fridge was the remains of Quinn's cooking neatly stacked in Tupperware containers and Rachel pulled them out, fixing herself a plate and sitting at the counter while waiting for it to heat up. She was scrolling through her phone casually, trying to stay as quiet as possible to not wake Quinn.

There was a loud knock on the door that made Rachel jump. She could see Quinn stirring from in the interruption and she walked over to the door and stood on her tiptoes to look out of the peephole.

A tall blonde girl was standing on their welcome mat, her eyes red and puffy and her cheeks stained with tears. Rachel threw the door open in alarm and she felt Quinn appear behind her in the doorway.

"Britt, what are you doing here?" Rachel asked, gaping at their friend.

Brittany burst into tears, her sobs raking her entire body. Rachel stood there completely shell-shocked, so Quinn pushed past her and took Brittany in her arms, leading her back into the apartment. She kicked the door closed behind them and coerced Brittany into taking a seat on the couch.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" she said, her voice soft and concerned.

"She-she broke up with me!" Brittany squeaked out amongst her deep sobs. Her shoulders were heaving with the exertion of her crying. "She told me she couldn't do this anymore and that we needed to stop trying."

"Santana is just scared, B. I'm sure she didn't mean it," Quinn tried to reason with her.

"No, she said that it's like dating a ghost and she's not waiting around for me anymore." Her sobs became frantic again and Rachel flitted around the kitchen making them tea and glancing over at her girlfriend and Brittany nervously.

She joined them when it was ready and handed a mug to both Quinn and Brittany before retrieving her own. Brittany was shaking and Quinn put her mug down on the coffee table to wrap Brittany tighter.

"We're going to help you, B. How did you get here?" Her voice continued to be calm and soothing.

"I had a show in New Jersey and I called after the show and she broke up with me so I had someone drop me at the train station. I needed to see someone." Her crying had become silent, her chest not heaving so much.

"Well, we're here. Drink some of your tea. Are you hungry?" Brittany shook her head. "Drink some tea and then we'll try to get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll talk about everything okay?"

Brittany didn't respond but took a tiny sip of the tea. Rachel sat in the armchair, unsure how to help. Brittany and Santana had always been Quinn's best friends and while they all got along now, she still didn't know how to act as their friend. So when Quinn asked her to get the bed ready, she jumped up to find the extra pillow and turn down the blankets.

Quinn got Brittany to calm down a little more and drink her tea, before leading her to the bathroom and washing the makeup off her face and giving her a new toothbrush. She went back into Rachel's room and extracted a pair of shorts and tank top and delivered them to her friend. Brittany gave her a weak smile of appreciation and let Quinn lead her back to the bedroom.

Quinn helped Brittany into the bed before climbing in behind her and holding her tightly. Rachel got ready for bed, her dinner left forgotten in the kitchen. She climbed in behind Quinn a few minutes later, turning the light off and pulling the blanket over the three of them.

None of them slept well that night. Brittany cried until her body gave up with exhaustion and Quinn and Rachel took turns stroking her hair and hugging her close. Quinn snuck out of bed while Rachel and Brittany were snuggled up together. She called Joshua quickly to take the day off of work. She hadn't taken so much as a true lunch break since she had started and Joshua didn't give her a hard time.

She was awake at this point, so she started the coffee before ducking into the hallway. With a tap of a button, she called Santana. It rang for a long time before she finally heard a very raspy voice on the other end.

"What the fuck, Quinn? It's like 5 in the morning here."

"Why don't you tell me why I'm calling this early then. I have your girlfriend sleeping in my bed that showed up on my doorstep a mess in the middle of the night."

"Britt is with you?" Santana asked, her voice dripping worry.

"Yeah, because apparently my best friend is a fucking idiot." Quinn didn't try to hide the disgust in her voice. She hadn't seen Brittany this broken since before Santana admitted her feelings in eleventh grade.

"I can't take the heartache of missing her all of the time," Santana said, her voice weak.

"So the heartache of not having her at all is better than the heartache with a promise of love despite all odds?" They had always had a rough friendship because both of them were bitchy and manipulative. They were brutally honest and didn't sugarcoat it for one another. This wasn't any different.

"Quinn, I can't handle it. I love her so much and I'm holding her back and I'm lonely and miserable all of the time." Her voice was choked with tears now.

"Have you told Brittany any of that? Have you even tried to talk to her about how hard this is for you?"

Santana was silent and Quinn knew that her assumption was right.

"You need to fix this, Santana. You cannot let the best thing to ever happen to you walk away."

"What am I going to do? She's in the middle of a tour on the East Coast and I'm in California."

Rachel peeked her head out the door and signaled silently to Quinn that Brittany was awake inside the apartment.

"Book yourself a damn flight. Text me what time you need me to pick you up from the airport and I'll see you tonight."

She hung up before Santana even responded and headed back into the apartment to deal with Santana's better half.

Rachel couldn't get out of work that day and she shrugged apologetically as she left a couple of hours later. Santana forwarded her flight information and Quinn ducked into the hallway to ask Kurt to pick her up so that Quinn could stay with Brittany.

The day passed slowly, filled with trying to keep Brittany's mind off of her breaking heart. Quinn had her call in and take two days off of the tour. She would pick up with the crew in Boston after she had time to talk to Santana, although she didn't know that.

Rachel came home from work with a bag of takeout and Quinn tried to coerce Brittany into eating something, which had been a futile attempt thus far. She watched with a clenched heart as her friend pushed broccoli around on her plate, not even bothering to attempt a bite.

Kurt and Santana showed up shortly after Quinn had cleared dinner. Brittany was lying on the couch with her head buried in Rachel's lap, her sobs taking over for the tenth time that evening. She didn't even move at the sound of people entering and Quinn fixated her gaze on Santana's.

The Latina went pale at the sound of Brittany's obvious pain. Quinn gestured to the bedroom and knelt down next to Brittany on the couch.

"Hey, B? Can you come in the bedroom with me please?"

Brittany didn't respond, but let Quinn lead her into the bedroom. Her eyes were so red and puffy that she could hardly even keep them open, but they went wide at the sight of Santana standing there, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Quinn slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

The three of them sat on the couch and stayed there in frozen silence. Kurt played with a loose string on the hem of his shorts, cell phone lying in his lap. Rachel was wringing her hands in her lap and Quinn reached over to place her own hand on top of Rachel's.

It was a long time before the yelling began. Quinn winced harshly at the sound of Brittany's voice.

"You promised you'd never hurt me, Santana! You promised you'd love me forever!"

Rachel tugged at Quinn's hand, interlocking their fingers securely.

It was almost two hours before the door to the bedroom opened and the two of them emerged. They were standing awkwardly apart, both of them with red, puffy eyes. Quinn and Rachel communicated silently. Santana followed Quinn out of the apartment while Rachel and Kurt tended to Brittany.

They walked silently down the busy streets of New York City before Quinn dragged Santana into a dark dive bar. She ordered them both sodas despite Santana's scowl and pushed her friend into a booth roughly.

"Well?" Quinn finally asked, meeting Santana's eyes across the table.

"We're both hurting so badly," Santana said, tearing up her cocktail napkin and stacking the pieces on the table.

"Does that mean you're giving up?" Quinn spat, feeling the anger rising up in her. She would never give up on Rachel just because her girlfriend was following her dreams.

"We don't want to. We're taking a little break for a couple of hours to calm down and then we're going to talk about how to fix things. I just can't stand being in our apartment alone night after night anymore. I'm going insane, Q."

Quinn sipped her soda and contemplated the appearance of her best friend. Santana was pale, her eyes sunken. She looked like she had lost weight and her hair was greasy and hanging flat against her cheeks.

"Come spend the summer in New York with us." She knew she'd have to check with Kurt and Rachel for sure, but they would never leave a friend hanging.

"I have my job at the café and the apartment," Santana responded lamely.

"You can get a job here for the summer and pay your rent like that. Do you have a friend that can get your mail and whatever?"

Santana nodded slightly.

"You don't have to be alone, Santana. You just have to not be so afraid to ask for help."

Quinn let Santana have one shot before they walked back to calm her nerves. Brittany was huddled on the couch between Kurt and Rachel when they got back, their arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Hey, Rach, can I talk to you quick?"

Rachel hopped up and followed Quinn into their bedroom. Quinn explained what was going on from Santana's point of view and how she thinks the best thing would be for Santana to come stay until school started up again. Rachel agreed and pulled Kurt in to check with him before the three of them walked back into the living room.

Santana was sitting on the armchair, her arms pulled tightly around her knees, hugging them to her chest. Brittany was sniffling on the couch, staring at the wall in front of her.

"I know you girls have a lot to talk about still, but you're welcome to stay here for a while if you want to, San." Santana nodded appreciatively at them. Quinn gestured for them to use the bedroom again to talk things out now that they were a little calmer.

Kurt left to go hang out with Pierce and some of his friends, leaving Rachel and Quinn to cuddle up on the couch until their friends worked things out. Rachel fell asleep with her head on Quinn's lap and Quinn stroked her silky hair rhythmically as her thoughts swirled in her head.

Santana and Brittany had been a package deal for as long as she could remember. There had been moments when they strayed from one another slightly, but they always found their way back. They had their issues, but they had always made Quinn believe in true love.

It was after midnight when the bedroom creaked open and Santana emerged. She seemed much calmer than she had been earlier, though her eyes were still puffy from crying. Quinn carefully slid out from under Rachel, replacing her lap with a throw pillow before walking over to Santana.

"Britts just kind of fell asleep in your bed," Santana said, gesturing to the tall blonde curled up on Rachel's side of the bed.

"You guys stay in there tonight. You guys need the time together anyway. I have work tomorrow and then we'll figure out the logistics of you moving in if that's what you want to do."

"I don't want to be a nuisance," Santana started but Quinn cut her off.

"You're not a nuisance. You're my best friend."

That settled it. Santana gave her a quick hug and picked up her duffel bag that was sitting in the living room. Quinn pulled pajamas for herself out of a drawer and changed quickly before pulling a sleeping bag out of the closet and settling onto the floor of the living room after covering Rachel with a throw blanket. Santana took her turn in the bathroom before joining Brittany in the bedroom.

Quinn's alarm went off early the next morning and she stretched her stiff limbs. It hadn't been a great night of sleep and she rubbed her eyes sleepily before dragging her tired body into the hot shower. She crept into the bedroom after her shower to get clothes for work before slipping back out and into the kitchen.

Rachel woke to the sound of the coffee maker brewing Quinn's morning coffee and she sat up, her dark hair extra messy from sleeping on the couch.

She joined Quinn at the table as Quinn ate her toast and drank her coffee before packing a second mug to take with her. Quinn filled her in on her short conversation with Santana last night before kissing her goodbye and heading out to work.

Rachel puttered around the apartment, tidying up and cooking breakfast as she waited for the girls to wake up. At the smell of her banana pancakes, the bedroom door swung over to reveal a hungry Santana. Brittany appeared right behind her.

The three of them had breakfast and Rachel was glad to see that they seemed to have talked about most of their issues. Santana's hand stayed on Brittany's thigh through the entirety of breakfast and the two of them shared little smiles and sidelong glances.

Once breakfast was cleared and they all showered and got dressed to the day, Rachel led the two girls out for a fun day in the city. She played tour guide as Santana and Brittany walked hand-in-hand through the city. It was relaxing and the girls seemed to be enamored with one another, having gone so long with barely any contact. That evening Brittany would have to get on the train to Boston for her show the next day and Rachel could see the sadness flash through Santana's eyes every time the girl glanced down at her watch, seeing the minutes flying away from them and limiting their time together.

Quinn was able to get out of work at a reasonable hour tonight and the four of them went out for a quick dinner before they took Brittany to Port Authority to catch her bus to Boston. Quinn and Rachel each gave Brittany quick hugs before moving a few feet away to let their friends say another hard goodbye. A few minutes later, Brittany disappeared through the gate and Santana walked back towards them, swiping at her cheeks to clear the fallen tears.

They headed back to the apartment in near silence, but as soon as they entered, Rachel gathered them at the kitchen table to work out the logistics of Santana's move. Her fall semester classes would start in nine weeks. Brittany would be finished with her contract in twelve weeks, so they would only have three weeks apart and alone. In eight weeks, they would be returning to Ohio for the lake house reunion.

Rachel and Santana called some of her friends to ask them to ship her a couple boxes of her belongings and set up somebody to take care of her mail until she returned at the end of the summer. Once that was settled, they moved onto the classified ads to help Santana find jobs to apply for. Rachel set up a color-coded list for her to go check out the following day.

Quinn began yawning heavily from her long day of work on hardly any sleep. It was a cue for them to stop the work and get ready for bed. They got Santana a sheet and some extra pillows and a blanket to make up the couch. Once she was all settled, the two of them headed into their bedroom.

Life with Santana living with them was crowded, but fun. It had only taken her three days to find a job as a bartender/waitress at a sports bar in Midtown. Quinn joked that it probably had something to do with the low cut tank top she had worn to the interview that showed off her surgically enhanced chest.

The three of them and Kurt settled into a comfortable routine. All of their work hours varied, but they found time to eat together and play in the city as often as they could. Quinn could hear Santana chatting sleepily with Brittany almost every night after the blonde's shows and while Santana obviously missed her girlfriend a lot, she seemed so much happier than she had on their video chats from the past months.

Before they knew it, the 4th of July sprung up on them. Santana had to work, but the other three were off and they went to Santana's bar to hang out before the concert and fireworks display over the water. Just before they were due to leave, Santana came bounding toward their table, announcing that her boss had given her the rest of the night off.

They headed across the city and met up with Pierce and a couple of Pierce's friends. It was a hot night, but the sky was cloud free. You couldn't really see the stars because of all of the lights coming from the gigantic city. It was something Quinn had found odd when she had first moved to New York.

The music was loud and Pierce passed them each a red cup filled with liquor as they enjoyed the concert. Quinn let Rachel sway against her, their arms wrapped around one another. Santana was smiling and singing along, looking carefree for once. Kurt and Pierce were giggling and dancing together in their tiny amount of space. The fireworks were beautiful against the dark, glimmering surface of water with the backdrop of the high skyscrapers. Quinn was shining with happiness of being surrounded by the people she loved during the best summer of her life.

Work picked up for Quinn after the fourth and she was working almost twelve-hour days during the week. Mr. Shelski didn't believe in taking it easy in his work and Quinn understood how he had gotten the reputation he has so young. He was exceptionally talented, but very serious and professional. Quinn loved watching him work his magic when on set, moving gracefully around the models and barking orders, all while clicking the shutter of the camera to capture the shots.

Every morning she sat with him and went over the past shoots and analyzed pictures. He quizzed her and pushed her to continue to learn every day. Sometimes he gave her little assignments to work on around her busy work schedule.

It wasn't until the beginning of August that Mr. Shelski had her hold a camera during the workday. It was a slow day: only one shoot for a magazine fragrance ad. Quinn had learned quickly that these were Mr. Shelski's least favorite jobs, but followed him dutifully into the studio, eying the plain white backdrop and the little white table that held a bottle of perfume in a green glass bottle.

"Quinn, we need shots with the model loving the perfume. It's a simplistic shoot – no other props or backdrop scenes. Just the model and the fragrance. She's due on set in half an hour, so set up what equipment you would like to use."

"Excuse me, sir?" Quinn asked in confusion. Usually he told her exactly what he wanted for a particular shoot.

"I'm sorry, I thought my intention was clear. You will shooting this ad today." He gave her a light pat on the back before walking over to the snack table in the corner.

Quinn gaped at him for a minute before Joshua snapped her back to attention. She sprung into action, making requests to the helpers to get the lighting set up as she dealt with the camera.

The model didn't appear on the shoot at her designated time and Quinn found her manager, who got things moving. Quinn didn't want to get behind schedule when she was finally getting a chance to prove herself. Mr. Shelski kept his distance, but Quinn could feel him watching her as she set up the model with the fragrance and began shooting. With the first click of the camera, she was in the zone and was able to tune out everything but her and her object.

After two hours and a quick flip through the shots, she called it a wrap and thanked the model and her manager. Mr. Shelski appeared beside her, his lips curled in a small smile.

"I think you did a respectable job, Miss Fabray. Supervise the packing of the equipment and meet me in my office when you are done."

Quinn nodded and watched him stride across the room and into his office. She watched over the workers and made sure the camera was cleaned and packaged carefully before walking over and knocking on his door.

He beckoned her to enter and she crept inside the office, closing the door behind her and taking her typical seat in the chair in front of his desk. He had glasses perched on his nose and he was scrolling through the shots that were on the memory card Quinn had given him at the end of the shoot.

"You've learned a lot, Miss Fabray. I thought you did quite well today. This internship has never been just about taking pictures and making people look good. You commanded the entire shoot in a professional manner. The model's manager was very pleased with your demeanor towards the both him and his client."

Quinn thanked him, a blush coloring her cheeks. They walked through the pictures and Mr. Shelski left the final decisions up to her for the prints that would be passed along to the client for final approval.

He let her leave early with a firm handshake and a meeting time for the next morning. She hardly refrained from skipping out of his office in excitement.

Rachel and Santana were still at work when she got back to the apartment, but Kurt was sprawled on the couch watching television when she returned. Dropping her bag in the bedroom and grabbing a bottle of water, she joined him on the couch.

"No work today?" she asked him.

"No, off for the day," he responded, his eyes still fixed on his show. "You're done early today," he observed.

"Yeah, Mr. Shelski had a light schedule today and gave me the evening off. That's after he let me do my first shoot." She could hardly contain her excitement from her news.

"Wow, that's awesome, Quinn!" he said, turning to face her and giving her a one arm hug. "When Rachel gets off, we should go to Santana's bar to celebrate!"

The two of them made dinner together, Kurt singing loudly to the Wicked soundtrack he had blasting through the speakers. Quinn swayed her hips along with the music as she cooked, listening to Kurt's nearly flawless singing. She hadn't gotten to spend much time with Kurt since he had returned from Ohio and it was nice to get some time with him. Over dinner, they talked about his job at the little boutique and his FIT classes and her photography internship and her upcoming semester abroad.

Once dinner was cleaned up, she texted Rachel and told her to meet them at the bar and the two of them headed uptown to the bar Santana worked at. They spotted her behind the bar when they entered. It was pretty busy with the dinner crowd and Santana was moving swiftly mixing drinks at the bar. They grabbed two stools and she stopped over once the patrons were cared for and dropped a pint of beer in front of Quinn and a cosmopolitan in front of Kurt with a wink.

"To what do I owe the pleasure" she asked with a smirk, using the rag that was tucked into her apron to wipe a small spill on the surface of the bar.

"Quinn got to do her first shoot today, so we're celebrating!" Kurt responded for her, lifting his cosmo to his lips and groaning at the taste. "You are perfect at this," he said, gesturing down to his glass.

"That's awesome, Q," she said before a patron flagged her down for a drink and she took off again.

It was an hour later before Rachel appeared at the bar, but Quinn's jaw dropped open at the sight of her girlfriend. Rachel was wearing tight black jeans and black wedges, exposing her hot pink painted toenails. Her tanned arms were exposed in a plain white tank top with a scoop neck, leaving just a hint of cleavage visible. Her long hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders and her makeup was minimal. She looked stunning.

"Wow, you look beautiful," Quinn murmured as Rachel leaned in to kiss her in greeting.

Kurt gave a whistle and Rachel giggled, her cheeks turning red.

"Kurt told me we were celebrating something so I thought I'd get dressed up," Rachel explained, sliding onto the stool next to Quinn and interlocking their fingers.

Santana appeared, dropping a vodka and diet Coke onto a coaster in front of the brunette with a wink before disappearing to help a customer.

"Shelski let me shoot an ad today," Quinn said into her ear, her smile wide against the shell of Rachel's ear.

Rachel squealed in excitement and turned to capture Quinn's lips in a passionate kiss. Kurt tried coughing loudly to get them to pull apart, but Rachel wasn't having it. She only ended the kiss when she could hardly breathe anymore.

"I'm so proud of you, Quinnie!" she said excitedly, waving Santana over.

"What's wrong with your drink, Berry," Santana asked impatiently, toying with the strings of her apron.

"Nothing, nothing. Can we have a round of shots to toast Quinn's exciting news?"

Santana nodded and disappeared down the bar to mix them up a round of shots. She returned with a mixing tin in her hand and she lined up four shot glasses in front of them before neatly pouring the reddish liquid into the glasses and shoving one towards her three friends and keeping one for herself.

"To Quinn being awesome at taking pictures of sexy models," she said with a smirk, lifting her glass up to clink it against her friends'. They swallowed the shot together before dropping the glasses back onto the bar.

In their small amount of free time together, Rachel had all of them planning the lake house reunion. They had invited the younger glee club members and their significant others, so the house would be packed to capacity this time around. The only ones that hadn't yet responded were Finn and Brittany. Santana tried to be excited about the trip, but Quinn knew she was really hoping that Britt would be able to get a couple days away from the tour to be there at least for the weekend.

In her typical over-the-top compulsive nature, there was a notebook filled with food shopping lists and bedroom arrangements and possible activities sitting on the dining room table at all times. Kurt and Santana had taken to adding random things to the list that they knew would drive Rachel insane, like having a pig roast as one of the activities.

Quinn's work had picked up since Mr. Shelski had given her the shoot. He was trusting her more and giving her more responsibility around the studio. Her portfolio was growing rapidly from the shoots he was letting her work on and actually getting to handle a camera.

She was counting the days until the lake trip, but it was also creeping even closer for to start packing for London. It was hard to not be excited about spending four months in Europe, but the idea of leaving Rachel after this amazing summer was almost unbearable. She was watching how hard it was for Santana and Brittany make it work with the distance and the travelling and she couldn't help but worry about how it was going to work for them.

Kurt and Pierce were in his bedroom and Santana had paid Quinn fifty bucks to use her bedroom to video chat with Brittany before the blonde's next show. Quinn decided it was best to not let Rachel know about that deal and instead texted Rachel to meet her for dinner at a restaurant around the corner from the theatre when she got off of work.

The brunette came into the restaurant wearing the adorable red sundress that she had worn to work that morning. Quinn couldn't help but check her out as the brunette sauntered towards the table, a megawatt smile on her face.

With a swift kiss, she sat down across from Quinn and picked up her menu. They sat in comfortable silence as they perused their options and the waiter came to take their orders.

"How was work, baby?" Quinn asked, fiddling with the straw in her Diet Coke.

"It was long and I miss performing every time I walk in there and see other people up on stage."

"Why don't you start auditioning again, Rach?"

"Maybe when school starts again in the fall. I don't want anymore distractions before you leave for London than I already have."

"Baby, you shouldn't be putting off something that would make you happy and help your career because of me."

"God, Quinn, is it so wrong for me to savor the last month I have with you before you move across an ocean?"

The waiter brought their food and refilled their drinks. Quinn left hers untouched as she took in Rachel's face.

"I'm going to be back in four months. It's not forever. I'll be back for winter break and we'll have a few glorious weeks together and we'll go back to school and make it work just like we have been for the past year. We're going to be okay, Rachel."

Rachel was chewing her vegan lasagna slowly, her gaze focused on her plate.

"How can you be so sure?" It made Quinn's stomach drop to hear Rachel doubting their ability to stay together while she would be abroad.

"It's impossible to be sure, but I do know that I love you enough to do everything in my power to make it work. I'm not doing this to drive a wedge between; I'm doing this to hopefully give my career in a hard field a fighting chance. You of all people should understand that." Quinn was having trouble keeping the emotion out of her voice.

"You're a great photographer, Quinn. But you're still majoring in English. You have never actually said that you are going to put all of your energy into photography as a career."

"My dad will only pay for my Yale tuition if I major in something he approves of. It was hard enough convincing him and my mom to let me do an art minor. Do you really think that I wasn't seriously pursuing photography if I took an internship for the summer and a program across an ocean for four months?"

"I was merely stating fact, Quinn."

"Do you not believe that we can make it while I'm abroad? We've made it nearly a year of doing a long distance relationship, Rach. It's just a little more distance."

"When you're in New Haven, I actually have the ability to come visit you and see you for some weekends and be in the same time zone so our schedules match up a little bit. Have you not thought about all of the extra mountains we're going to have to climb to make this work?"

"Of course I have. But I'm not doubting that we can make it work like you are." The bitterness was seeping into her voice now despite her attempts to keep it out.

"Can we please just have dinner?" Rachel said quietly, not wanting to fight in the middle of a busy restaurant.

"Are we just going to continue to pretend like I'm not leaving in a month?" Quinn asked, stabbing a piece of potato with her fork and lifting it to her mouth.

"We can talk about it later."

The rest of dinner was finished in awkward silence. Quinn tossed some cash on the table when the check finally came and led the way back out of the restaurant. Rachel walked alongside her, her heels clicking against the pavement as they headed for the subway a couple of blocks over. Quinn could feel the weight of their conversation sitting on her chest and eating away at her. London was not worth losing Rachel over.

Santana and Kurt had left a note that they had gone out with some people, so Quinn marched right into their bedroom and Rachel followed her, closing the door behind them.

"What is it that you propose we do, Rachel?" Quinn asked bluntly, not bothering to ease into the conversation she knew they needed to have.

"I'm just going to miss you so damn much and I'm worried that you'll be having too much fun to miss me." Quinn looked over at her girlfriend to see tears rolling down her face. "Brittany said that Santana told her that was what happened when Britt went on tour."

"Rach, I miss you while you're at work for the day. Of course I'll miss you when I'm in London. Santana also doesn't make insane color coded calendars to schedule time to talk to deal with the distance. We've got the basics down and we can just make them even stronger while I'm away. I love you too much to not miss you."

"You really think we can make it work?" Rachel asked, wiping the tears as they streamed down her flushed cheeks.

"Of course I do. You're worth it all."

"I love you so much, Quinn." She pulled Quinn down onto the bed with her and snuggled her face into Quinn's chest as her tears started to dry.


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: This story is getting super long! Right now, my plan is end this story at the end of their summer. After a hiatus so I can focus on my other fic, I'm thinking about a sequel but haven't decided if I want to have it as a time jump or just pick up with the fall semester. Thanks for everybody that has been following and reviewing through this crazy long journey!**

**Chapter 52**

Quinn had thought that Rachel had fallen asleep on her chest as they laid in the bed and she jumped when she felt Rachel's hand slide up her bare thigh, fingernails lightly scratching along the skin. The brunette shifted and lifted her face to Quinn's, pushing their mouths together with a passion Quinn was not expecting. She returned it with equal enthusiasm, her tongue gliding along Rachel's lips until Rachel opened and allowed her to slip inside. Rachel rolled her hips into Quinn's side, causing them both to groan simultaneously.

"God, I'm going to miss this," Rachel murmured, her hand gripping Quinn's leg firmly, her lips brushing against Quinn's swollen ones. Quinn moaned as she slid higher, her fingers moving up under the flowery sundress and towards already wet panties.

Quinn let Rachel lead, her hands tangled in brunette locks as Rachel kissed down her jaw and started teasing her neck. Rachel's fingers felt like they were leaving a trail of flames against her pale skin as they moved up to her hip under her dress and holding her tightly. Rachel pulled herself up onto her knees, breaking the contact to pull her own red dress over her head before tugging at Quinn's. Quinn acquiesced, lifting her butt as Rachel dragged it towards her head and sat up to have it yanked it off completely.

Rachel's chest was bare, causing Quinn to gulp at the sight of dusty pink nipples right in front of her. It made her own strapless bra feel even more constricting and she reached behind her back to pull open the clasp and toss her bra onto the floor. She pulled Rachel down on top of her, letting their lips crash together again. Rachel was already growing impatient with the pace and pushed a thigh between Quinn's legs and rolled her hips, causing both of them to groan with the pressure gained on their centers.

"Fuck, Rach. You feel amazing," Quinn said, reaching to massage Rachel's breast, her palm moving slowly over a pebbled nipple and causing Rachel to roll her hips into the blonde again in response. Rachel mimicked the action, reaching down to pinch Quinn's nipple between her thumb and forefinger and was rewarded with a deep throaty groan from the blonde.

Rachel moved her hands down to the waistband of Quinn's panties, sliding her hands underneath and pulling them down her hips, past her knees, and tugging them off of her ankles before throwing them carelessly. She was met with the sight of a needy Quinn below her, center glistening, lips swollen and red, chest heaving breathlessly.

Sitting back on her heels, she let her hands massage their way up Quinn's inner thighs, watching as the blonde bit down on her lip and goosebumps erupted in the wake of her moving fingers. Quinn's eyes were locked on Rachel's every feature, flipping between Rachel's face and her hands. The slow pace of Rachel's hands was driving Quinn insane with want, her center getting wetter with every touch of Rachel's fingertips against her skin.

Rachel slid her right hand all the way up until it hit the apex of Quinn's thighs. Quinn's hips bucked at Rachel cupping her mound, the friction of her center on Rachel's hand finally giving her the tiniest bit of relief from her growing frustration.

Rachel let out an adorable giggle at Quinn's readiness and pushed two fingers through her lips and into slick wetness. Quinn's back arched and she whimpered as Rachel circled her entrance and moved up and down, skillfully avoiding her already throbbing clit. Rachel was determined to move slowly despite her own growing need to see Quinn in the throes of her orgasm.

She leaned forward, keeping her fingers between Quinn's legs, but letting her lips capture a stiff nipple and rolling her tongue against it as she grazed over Quinn's clit before moving her fingers southward again. Every movement elicited a new noise from Quinn as she continued to move her hips, determined to get Rachel's fingers to stay where she wanted them the most.

"Don't make me beg, Rach," she whimpered as Rachel once again skated on the outside of her clit before sliding down and circling her entrance.

"Mmm, but I like it when you beg," Rachel husked, her fingers pausing and pushing into Quinn only as deep as her first knuckle and then holding her hand still. "What do you want?"

"You. Deep inside me. Now."

Quinn's words were needy, desperate and Rachel finally complied, her two fingers thrusting in until her palm was flat against Quinn. Quinn let out a relieved moan that caused Rachel's panties to soak through as she started moving her fingers, curling against the sensitive inner wall as she thrust slowly and gently.

"Fuck me like you mean it," Quinn whined, her hips trying to buck with Rachel's rhythm, forcing her deeper and harder. Rachel couldn't deny Quinn and began to move faster, her palm slapping against Quinn's clit every time she went deep inside. She could feel Quinn clenching tightly around her, signaling that she was close. Rachel dipped down and kissed her sloppily as she pushed the blonde over the edge, pulling back so she could watch Quinn come undone at her touch.

Rachel could watch Quinn as she climaxed for the rest of her life. It was her favorite version of Quinn: passionate, vulnerable, and completely sexy. When Quinn finally came down from her high, Rachel slipped her fingers out and lifted them to her lips, tasting Quinn's tangy sweetness. Her eyes were still fixed on Quinn and she watched her girlfriend lick her lips at the sight. She smiled at Quinn as she cleaned her fingers and wasn't surprised when Quinn pulled her down on top of her, kissing her deeply and moaning at the taste of herself on Rachel's tongue.

"As much as I love the taste of myself on your lips, I want to taste you." Quinn's words gave Rachel chills and she pulled Quinn up to her mouth again, kissing her deeply.

She flipped them over, straddling Rachel's hips and kissing her deeply, letting her hands find the smooth flesh of Rachel's stomach. Fingers moved nimbly upwards until she was rolling a hard nipple between them, causing Rachel to arch into the touch and groan into her mouth.

Quinn moved her mouth sloppily down Rachel's jaw and began kissing softly down her neck and nipping on her collarbone, soothing the bite with her tongue immediately after. Rachel was putty in her hands and her willingness to relinquish control was exhilarating.

Quinn replaced her fingers with her mouth, sucking a nipple between her lips and flicking her tongue over it, causing Rachel to hiss and dig her nails into Quinn's back. Quinn's hand tweaked the other nipple in rhythm with her tongue before she switched and started the process over.

By the time Quinn released the nipple from her lips with a loud pop, Rachel moved her hand to Quinn's head and tried to nudge her towards the apex of her thighs where her drenched panties were sticking to her. Quinn looped her fingers through the waistband and yanked them down tan legs as she kissed her way southward on Rachel's stomach, causing the abdominal muscles to twitch and flex.

Rachel kicked her panties off of her feet and focus on Quinn's slow but steady movement to where she really needs her. The loss of underwear was only a tiny relief compared to what Quinn is willing to give her. She gasped as Quinn's fingernails rake up from her knee, scratching lightly as her mouth places a delicate kiss on her hipbone before moving inward toward her mound.

The flood of pleasure hits as soon as Quinn's tongue slips between swollen lips and Rachel feels the vibration of Quinn's throaty groan. She's propelled to new levels of want and she holds tightly onto Quinn's hair, keeping the blonde tightly in between her legs. Quinn slides her arms under Rachel's legs and pulls them over her shoulder, giving her deeper access to Rachel's center. Her tongue moves languidly but with definite purpose, pulling out whimpers from a desperate Rachel.

Rachel pulls Quinn's face harder towards her, determined to increase the pressure of her tongue against her inner folds. Quinn doesn't resist and lets Rachel guide her until her mouth is surrounding the swollen nub that makes Rachel moan and buck her hips into Quinn's mouth. Her tongue swirls, alternating between direct pressure and barely-there touches, keeping Rachel squirming and begging for more, her one hand still tangled in blonde hair, the other reaching up to hold onto the headboard.

Quinn dislodged an arm from under Rachel's thighs and moved it up so that two fingers could slide easily inside of Rachel's dripping center. The brunette groaned and canted her hips up into Quinn's mouth and hand. The burning heat rushed through all of the brunette's limbs and her toes curled as Quinn moved quicker, her tongue pressed harder against Rachel's painfully throbbing clit.

With a few more well-timed thrusts of fingers and flicks of Quinn's tongue, Rachel hit her climax; Quinn's name being yelled more loudly than their roommates would appreciate if they'd returned by now. Quinn slowed her ministrations as Rachel came down from her high until she slid her fingers out and licked up as much as Rachel's juices as she could before Rachel jerked her up to meet her mouth once again.

The sun was creeping through the window by the time Rachel fell onto her pillows. Quinn had fallen asleep nearly immediately after the fourth round and Rachel felt a similar exhaustion creep over her. Every minute, every touch had been exactly what she had needed to ease her fears of Quinn's trip to London. It had been gentle, passionate, rough, and more than anything full of promises of Quinn's love.

Rachel had never been more thankful for working the night show on a Saturday. Quinn was off of work and there was no way she would have been able to pull herself out of bed in time if she had drawn the matinee shift. Instead, it was after two when she finally stirred to find Quinn still sleeping peacefully on her left, her body only covered partially by the sheet and her head resting on the corner of Rachel's pillow.

She slipped from the bed and grabbed an oversized t-shirt and a pair of Quinn's shorts from a drawer before heading into the common area. Santana gave her a knowing smirk from her spot on the couch as soon as she emerged.

"Late night?" Santana asked, her voice full of faux naivety.

"Or early morning, depends how you look at it," Rachel said with her own sassiness as she set up the coffee maker and shoved a bagel from the bag on the counter into the toaster.

"Damn, Berry, you've grown up. Sex all night with the ex-head Cheerio and not even giving me a lecture about it the following afternoon."

Rachel stuck her tongue out childishly before dropping the hot bagel onto a plate and spreading half of it with Quinn's regular cream cheese and covering the other half with her veggie spread. As soon as the coffee finished brewing, she poured two mugs and placed everything on a tray to carry back to the bedroom, being sure to sway her hips for a watching Santana.

"Rise and shine, Quinnie," she said softly, peppering Quinn's face and cheeks with soft pecks.

"Why are you always so damn chipper in the morning?" Quinn grumbled, rubbing her eyes and stretching.

"Afternoon actually, although I brought you breakfast in bed." Quinn perked a little at the mention of breakfast and was pleased to see a steaming mug waiting for her.

"I have to work tonight, but Santana is off, so at least the two of you will get to spend some time together," Rachel said, trying to be cheery.

"I'll miss you too, baby," Quinn said through a mouthful of bagel. Rachel just smiled at her adorably.

"I need to shower and get ready though," Rachel said, finishing off her bagel and hopping to her feet. Quinn groaned and tried to pull Rachel back down, but the brunette was too quick. "I'm serious, Quinn!" She scurried out of the room carrying her towel.

Quinn sat on the bed and munched unhappily on her bagel. Eating naked in bed was only fun if Rachel was sitting next to her, feeding her small bites and following them with warm, giddy kisses. Nonetheless, she finished her half a bagel and managed to pull a t-shirt, clean panties, and a pair of pajama shorts on before Rachel returned from the shower and was sitting at Rachel's desk checking her e-mail.

She was greeted by the sight of Rachel wrapped only in a towel when she turned around to face the middle of the room. The long dark hair was still dripping, leaving Rachel's shoulders and back covered in tiny droplets. Her skin was radiant and Quinn found it hard to not want to throw Rachel back down on the bed and ravish her for the remainder of the day.

Rachel dropped her towel and Quinn's jaw followed suit, taking in the expanse of perfectly toned legs and perky breasts. She watched Rachel's every move as the brunette slowly ruined her view by adding layers of clothing over the tanned skin.

"Stop looking at me like you're going to eat me, Quinn. I'm already running late." Quinn tried to look ashamed, but her eyes never left her girlfriend, who was picking up a couple of things before heading back into the bathroom to do her hair and makeup for the day.

Rather than moping around the now empty bedroom, Quinn sauntered into the living area carrying the empty plate and her half-filled mug of coffee. Santana was sprawled on the couch, her laptop balanced on her stomach as she typed out an email. Quinn deposited the plate in the sink and filled up her mug before joining her friend.

"Someone finally decided to get their lazy ass out of bed," Santana teased, her eyes never leaving the computer screen. "I already ran, did laundry, and ate two meals today."

"Are you expecting a medal?" asked Quinn, her voice in mock-HBIC mode.

"No, I'm just reminding you that you're not going to maintain that body on sexcapades alone," Santana said with a smirk, shutting her laptop and moving it to the coffee table.

Quinn rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee, not wanting to get into any sort of discussion about her sex life with Santana. She could hear Rachel singing in the bathroom and she hummed along with the familiar tune, much to Santana's annoyance.

"Seriously? She's got you humming show tunes now? Damn, you really have gone soft for the midget, Fabray." Quinn picked up a throw pillow and tossed it at Santana's head, who ducked it expertly.

"What do you want to do today?" Quinn asked, changing the subject completely.

"Well it's my day off from working in a bar, so I want to go drink in a bar instead."

"You seriously want to drink in a dark bar all afternoon instead of exploring arguably the best city in the country?"

"Are you going to drag me sightseeing Berry-style?" Santana asked, her eyebrow cocked, challenging Quinn.

"No sightseeing, but maybe some appreciation for an amazing place. How about South Street Seaport? You can drink and sit outside pretending to absorb some of the magic of Manhattan at the same time. They even have a mall there."

"You've got yourself a deal."

Rachel finally emerged from the bathroom, her hair pin-straight and her makeup light, but perfect.

"I need to get going. I'm working until like ten, so if you guys are out just text me and I'll meet you then." She wandered into the living room and leaned down to give Quinn a less-than-innocent goodbye kiss, causing Santana to make gagging noises behind her.

"Have a good night at work, baby," Quinn drawled against her lips, kissing her once more before Rachel stood up straight and smoothed out her skirt.

She picked up her purse and took her keys off of the rack before hustling out the door and leaving Quinn and Santana to their own devices.

"I already showered, but you need to wash off the scent of Berry if you expect me to go anywhere with you," said Santana, picking up her empty glass and walking to the kitchen area to refill it.

Quinn sighed in annoyance at her best friend, but dutifully grabbed her towel and headed for the shower. Knowing it was a small apartment and Santana would never let her live it down if she heard Quinn singing in the shower in true Berry fashion, Quinn only hummed softly as she showered, smiling at the memory of the first time she heard Rachel sing in the shower when they were at the lake house last year.

Santana was sitting impatiently on the couch when she emerged from the steamy bathroom. She had changed into a tiny jean skirt and a low cut white tank top. She had brightly colored wedges on her feet and her hair was swept up into a playful twist. She played with her cell phone, as Quinn got dressed, opting for a much more conservative light pink sundress with white sandals and a thin white headband. Her short hair was left to air dry and she ran eyeliner quickly along her eyes before grabbing a cardigan and her purse and heading for the door.

The girls walked in the humid summer air and waiting on the unbearably hot platform for their subway train. Santana moaned and groaned about how a dark bar down the block would have been sufficient enough for bonding time and Quinn ignored her and toyed with the strap on her purse until the air-conditioned train finally pulled up to the platform.

It was short ride before they surfaced and walked the few long blocks to the seaport. The city was bustling with businessmen and tourists alike, but Santana plowed right through them, not bothering to take in the sights of lower Manhattan as she went. Quinn lead her through the crowds to the end of the pier where the mall sat and people lounged at outdoor tables, having an early dinner or cocktails.

Santana marched over to the hostess at one of the first opportunities and got them a table for two outside overlooking the pier. Quinn rolled her eyes as Santana perused the drink menu immediately, rather than the view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the beautiful boats docked right near the pier. She pulled her camera from her bag and snapped a few shots before picking up her own menu.

The waiter came over and immediately was drooling at Santana's cleavage and long expanse of tan legs. He was a couple of years younger than them, probably around seventeen. He wasn't bad looking, but slightly awkward and fumbled over his words as he recited today's specials. Santana ordered margaritas for both of them and Quinn wasn't surprised when the boy nearly ran to fill their drink order without even bothering to card them.

Without the distraction of her menu, Santana finally gazed up and watched the people strolling along the pier, stopping in the little shops and taking pictures by the end with the view of the water behind them.

"You sure have a knack for romance. This place reeks tourists and sappy couples," Santana said, stating her observations.

"Maybe you're just a coldhearted bitch that can't appreciate the finer things in life, like a good drink with your best friend in a beautiful place."

The waiter returned with their drinks, placing them down on cocktail napkins before asking if they wanted anything else. Santana shooed him away and he left like a dog with its tail between its legs, but not before taking a good look at Santana's ample cleavage.

"Maybe I don't have Quinn Fabray's dorky romanticism stemmed from spending half of her life with her nose in a book, but I can totally be romantic when I want to be."

"When have you ever been romantic? In the five years I've known you, I can't name one time."

"My romance usually accompanies sex, so of course you wouldn't know about it. Ask Britt."

"I'd rather not," replied Quinn, her nose scrunching at what Santana would consider romantic. Pink fuzzy handcuffs and a couple of candles maybe?

Quinn took a long sip of her margarita, reveling in the tangy sweetness mixed with the sting of tequila. It was encroaching on dinnertime and her stomach growled at the smells wafting over from the next table.

"You want to grab dinner here or somewhere else?" she asked, glancing over at Santana, who was playing with her phone again.

"Here is fine." She glanced at her menu quickly before signaling for their enthusiastic waiter. He scribbled down their orders before scampering away again to put it into the kitchen.

"How's Brittany doing on tour?" Quinn asked, unsure if the topic of Brittany was still a sore one.

"She's tired all of the time when I talk to her, yet she seems to love it. She was made to dance on a big stage in front of thousands of people."

"How are you handling it?"

"Better than before. Apparently talking about feelings does make things better," Santana mumbled, forcing a grin onto her face. "You ever think about the future, Q?"

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked, eying her friend curiously.

"You know, like life after college, marriage, that kind of shit."

"Yeah of course. Why?"

"Do you think you'll marry Berry?" It wasn't Santana's usual snarky tone. Her voice was soft and filled with actual interest.

"I mean, who knows? If this summer is any indication though, I really think so."

"You think that Britts and I will get married?"

"That's like asking me if the sun is going to rise tomorrow. San, you two have been destined for one another since the beginning, it just took you a while to figure it out."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I know I'm kind of a fuck-up when it comes to emotions, but I really think she's the one."

Their food arrived and Santana turned her attention to her bacon cheeseburger. They sat in silence as they chewed, their thoughts on the conversation. Rachel had been in Quinn's life for nearly as long as Brittany had been in Santana's. Everybody knew that Santana and Brittany would end up together in the end because they were always perfect together. Quinn and Rachel were a different story between the bullying, Beth, and everything else high school had thrown at them. She loved Rachel; there was not even a sliver of doubt in her mind about that. They had chemistry and passion, but they had never really discussed their future together. Sure, Quinn had imagined moving to Manhattan after graduating from Yale as Rachel got her break on Broadway. She had never shared her dreams with Rachel though.

"I'm thinking about proposing when Britts gets off of her tour," Santana said casually, pulling Quinn from her thoughts. She nearly choked on her bite of pasta at the statement and took a large gulp of her margarita, feeling the burn of tequila and just irritating her throat further. Thankfully, the waiter had brought them glasses of water as well and she sucked down nearly an entire glass before she composed herself.

"What?" Quinn spluttered, wiping her mouth hastily with her napkin.

"I've lost her too many times already and this most recent one has just opened my eyes to the fact that I never want to live without her again."

"Have you really thought about this, San? I mean we're nineteen years old. You still have three years left at UCLA and Britt's career is starting to take off."

"Exactly, life is beginning and I want it all to be with Brittany as my wife.

"You'd have it all with her regardless of whether you get married or not. Brittany is head over heels in love with you, ring or not."

"Do you think it's a bad idea?" Santana sounded vulnerable, unsure even.

"It's not that it's a bad idea, I just think it's too soon after what happened like a month ago. You're just starting to fix things for real and you guys haven't gotten to see each other. I just don't want you to take this decision lightly. You'll marry Brittany some day, I know you will. Who knows what Brittany will be doing after the tour. I'll support you no matter what, but I just think you should take some time."

"Alright, I'll think about it."

"Do you like UCLA?" Quinn asked, changing the subject to something safer.

"It's okay. I don't exactly get excited over school."

"Yeah, but it's Los Angeles and college parties and all of that stuff too."

"That stuff is nice. I just wish I could have gone into singing or something. Business is so damn boring."

"Change your major."

"Have you met my dad? He'll kill me if I don't do something worthwhile, which basically limits me to business, pre-law, or pre-med in his opinion."

"Can you pick up a minor? Maybe you could focus in business management and open your own recording studio or something equally as cool."

"Yeah, maybe. Think Mercedes and Rachel would produce records on my label?" Santana asked with a laugh.

"Maybe if you produce in New York. I don't think you're going to convince Rachel to leave New York for a very long time."

"So that means you'll be moving to New York in a few years then," Santana said with a sly smile. Quinn blushed and Santana knew she was right that Quinn was already thinking about it.

After dinner, Santana dragged Quinn out of the restaurant with a burning desire for a bar and possibly some dancing. Quinn didn't resist, knowing Santana needed a major break from the emotional heart-to-heart they had over dinner. She texted Rachel and pulled Santana to the subway to take them uptown.

Santana was pretty tipsy by the time Rachel and Kurt arrived at the bar. She was dancing with guys in the dark bar on the tiny dance floor in the back. Quinn had scored them a table not far off of the dance floor where she could keep a watchful eye on her flirtatious best friend. Rachel came right over to her, wrapping her arms around Quinn's waist and planting a kiss on her jaw. Kurt made a pit stop at the bar to get a drink before sashaying happily over to Quinn and Rachel.

Rachel claimed Quinn's drink as her own, swallowing the remainder of her rum and coke and wrinkling her nose at the strength of it as it went down her throat. Quinn got up to get them refills, ordering Rachel something fruity and girly and getting herself another rum and coke before tipping the bartender and walking back to their table.

Kurt was on the dance floor and Santana was grinding on him just like she had on the straight boys. Unlike the straight boys, he seemed mortified. Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand and forced her to join their friends on the dance floor, their drinks in hand.

By a little after two, Rachel was trying to convince the DJ to let her sing and Quinn decided it was time to get her drunk girlfriend home. She was easily the most sober of the four of them and dragged Rachel and the other two out of the bar and onto the muggy street of midtown Manhattan. They stumbled and giggled the entire way to the subway station. Quinn had to swipe Rachel's Metrocard because her girlfriend was giggling too hard to keep her hand steady enough to get it through the reader. They waited on the platform for fifteen minutes, entertaining the other patrons with Kurt, Santana, and Rachel's loud a capella impromptu performances. Quinn was pretty sure a few of them sighed in audible relief when she dragged her friends into a different compartment of the train.

When they got to their stop, Quinn herded them out of the train and to the apartment. She found herself falling into their ridiculous antics of singing and skipping along the sidewalk, basking in the joy of being young and carefree. Kurt insisted that they hang out on the roof when they got back and Quinn grabbed a handful of throw blankets from the living room before they climbed up and lounged on the roof and stared at the landscape full of tall buildings and a cloudy sky.

Rachel's head was lying on her stomach and her own head was next to Santana's as they laid on their backs. Kurt was cuddled into Rachel's side. They talked and giggled and reminisced and slowly came out of their drunken haze, yet staying put tangled up with their best friends.

Kurt shook them as the sky started to lighten, insisting that they watch the sunrise together since they were all on the roof already. Quinn's neck was stiff and she rubbed it with her hand when she sat up. Santana was groaning miserably, citing a terrible hangover for her lack of enthusiasm at watching a bright light appear. Rachel was her typical chipper morning self, giddy with excitement and she sat between Quinn's legs, letting the blonde wrap her arms around her as the sun broke the horizon and starting shedding light over the concrete buildings, reflecting the oranges of the morning haze. It was unlike anything Quinn had ever experienced and she was happy despite having only gotten a couple of hours of sleep on the roof of their apartment building.

~!~!~!~

"Quinn freaking Fabray!" Rachel's loud voice rang through the apartment as soon as she arrived home from work, slamming the door behind her and dropping her purse with a loud clunk on the table.

Quinn turned around from her spot on the couch, confused at what she had done to have Rachel come home yelling at her.

"What's wrong?"

"How come you didn't tell me your pictures were going to be published in Cosmopolitan?"

"Um, I didn't know," Quinn said quietly. "Are you sure it's mine?"

"Well your name next to Daniel Shelski Photography under the picture I thought was a pretty good indicator!"

Santana jumped up and grabbed the magazine Rachel was flailing around.

"Page 74," Rachel huffed, looking over Santana's shoulder.

"Holy shit, Q. Your name is totally in Cosmo under a picture of a superhot chick."

Quinn wandered across the room to look at the picture in the magazine. She immediately recognized it as from one of her first shoots that Mr. Shelski let her shoot on. At the time she was so focused on her work that she hadn't really paid attention to what the shoot was for.

"I've got to call my dads! They're going to want copies. You should call Judy!" Rachel launched at her purse, pulling her cell phone from it and speed dialing her dads before squealing into the phone and disappearing into the bedroom.

Quinn just continued to look at the photo spread. Some of them she knew were Shelski's work, but two of the shots were definitely ones she had taken. Her name was tiny in a neat font in the corner of the page, right next to Daniel Shelski's. She knew Shelski was a big-time photographer and she should have figured that it meant that her photos would actually be used in real magazines.

Santana shoved Quinn's phone into her hand and she dialed Judy's number, her head still reeling from the shock.

"_Hi, sweetie_!" Judy called on the other end of the line after two short rings.

"Hey, Mom."

"_How is everything? You haven't been mugged or anything in that city have you?_"

"No, I'm safe and sound. I have some pretty cool news though."

"_What is it?_" Judy said, her voice picking up with intrigue.

"You need to buy a Cosmopolitan magazine. A picture I took is featured on page 74," she said calmly, still staring down at the page.

"_Quinnie, that's so wonderful!_" Quinn giggled a little as she heard her mom call to Ted in the background to grab her keys so they could go get a copy. "_I'm so proud of you, honey. Ted and I are going to the pharmacy right now to buy copies."_

"Thanks, Mom."

They said goodbye and hung up. Rachel was still in the next room squealing with her dads. Santana wrapped her arm around Quinn's shoulder and put the magazine down on the table.

"I think this is a good reason to celebrate," said Santana with a grin. "I'm going to go grab some booze."

Rachel finally reappeared from the bedroom after Santana grabbed her keys and headed to the liquor store.

"I'm so proud of you, baby," Rachel said, wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck and kissing her softly.

"Santana is insisting we celebrate," Quinn said, pulling back to look into Rachel's eyes.

"I know how I want to celebrate," Rachel husked suggestively and Quinn felt her desire pool deep in her abdomen.

"You're a tease, Rachel Berry. We can't blow her off, but I'm definitely going to capitalize on your idea of a celebration later."

Santana came back in, a brown paper bag clutched in her hand. She dropped her keys carelessly, causing Rachel to immediately pick them up and hang them on their appropriate hook by the door.

"I got champagne, bitches. Let's celebrate." Quinn pulled three wine glasses from the kitchen cabinet, deciding it would have to be good enough since they didn't have champagne flutes and it wasn't like they were drinking expensive champagne anyway.

Santana popped open the bottle and poured three generous glasses before putting the bottle in the fridge.

"To Quinn getting to stare at hot girls and becoming famous because of it!" Santana said lifting her glass.

"Santana, that is not an appropriate toast from something so significant!" Rachel scolded.

"Fine. To Quinn for being the most badass photography intern in New York City."

"Much better," Rachel approved before taking a sip of her glass. Quinn smiled and did the same while Santana tipped back half of her own glass. It was the first of many celebrations, Quinn just knew it.


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: I've been dragging big time on updating lately! Summer is slipping away from me quickly. On another note, I was finally convinced to join the Tumblr universe. Follow me orangeiguanas4 if you'd like :)**

**Chapter 53**

"Quinn, we leave for Ohio in two days!" Rachel whined, pressing the phone harder against her ear as she paced their bedroom in frustration. "You haven't even started packing and now you're telling me you're working tomorrow when tonight was supposed to be your last day?"

"_Rach, Mr. Shelski offered me an opportunity for a huge shoot. This is bigger than a couple of prints in Cosmo._"

"Fine. I'll see you when you get home."

They hung up and Rachel flopped down on the bed moping. She had made dinner reservations for them to spend tomorrow night together before heading to Ohio for just over a week. When they got back from the lake house, Quinn would be packing up and heading to London. She knew things were going to be crazy over the next two weeks and she had really been looking forward to spending one more relaxing night with her girlfriend.

The front door opened and closed, but Rachel didn't move from her position on the bed. Her bedroom door was open and someone knocked tentatively on it. Santana didn't hesitate to enter and collapsed next to Rachel's sprawled out figure.

"Rough day, short stack?" Santana asked, adjusting the pillow under her head.

"Quinn is working tomorrow and I had planned this whole romantic night. Now instead she's going to get home late and will be rushing around to pack."

"You know it must have been important if she's deciding to work," Santana said, turning onto her side to face Rachel.

"I know it is. But after the lake house trip, we only have three days until she leaves for London. I just really wanted to have a night with her before all of that happens. This has been the best summer of my life and I don't want it to end."

Rachel rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, still pouting.

"Stop your moping. Once we leave for Ohio, I'm not coming back to New York so spend some time with me instead of this crap you're pulling. I expect you dressed and ready for some ridiculous sightseeing tour in an hour."

Santana got up and headed to the door before Rachel could protest. The diva released a loud sigh, but figured it was better to go along with Santana's plan than try to argue her way out of it. She took a short shower and pulling on a bright red dress and matching flats before blowing her hair out and pulling it off her neck in a neat ponytail.

The Latina was sitting on the couch, legs crossed and fingers tapping impatiently on the armrest. She stood up when Rachel appeared in the room with her purse slung over her shoulder and her sunglasses perched on top of her head.

"Let's go explore, Berry," Santana said, picking up her own purse before ushering Rachel out of the apartment.

Santana insisted they do ridiculous tourist-y things. Rachel followed along with her plan without complaint. Santana looked more carefree than she had in weeks as they rode the double-decker red bus past landmarks. She coerced Rachel into taking a million pictures with her doing little things like buying a hot dog from a vendor in Central Park and wearing a ridiculous "I Love NY" t-shirt she bought on Canal Street.

The whole day had taken Rachel's mind off of her disappointment with Quinn. It wasn't often she spent one-on-one time with Santana; the Latina had always been more of Quinn's friend that tolerated her existence. Today had been fun and ridiculous and Rachel had really enjoyed doing the things she had already done a handful of times in her life.

"Thanks for coming along, Rach," Santana said, chomping down on a kebob she had bought from the last street vendor they had passed. "This summer has been really rough with Britts on tour and I needed a distraction today."

"We're actually friends now, huh?" Rachel said, fiddling with the strap of her purse and looking down the street they were walking on.

"I thought that had been established when we made out at the lake house, midget. I wouldn't have let you on this if we weren't friends," Santana said seriously, waving a hand down her body.

Rachel beamed at Santana's blunt honesty and linked her arm through Santana's free one as they walked down the street towards the apartment. Santana just shrugged and kept chewing her stick of meat happily.

Quinn was sitting at the kitchen table with her glasses perched on her nose and her laptop open in front of her. She looked up and smiled when her girlfriend and best friend entered. They sat down across from her and she closed her laptop and pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, making Santana snort.

"Could you be anymore of a dork, Q?" she laughed, imitating a nerd pushing their glasses up. Quinn was too far away to slug her in the arm, so instead she tossed the magazine that was in her reach. Santana covered her head with her arms and the magazine bounced off of them and landed unceremoniously on the floor.

"When are you two going to grow up?" scolded Rachel, who moved to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.

Quinn and Santana grinned sheepishly at one another while trying to hold in their giggles. Rachel still didn't completely grasp their complex friendship. They had thrown one another under the bus countless times, they had fist fought, had spit venomous words. But they were also fiercely protective of one another. Santana always had Quinn's back when she needed it the most.

After a simple dinner, Rachel left to meet up with Kurt and Pierce, leaving the dangerous duo alone in the apartment for the evening. Quinn was slouched on the couch in sweatpants and a wife beater, giving into her guilty pleasure of watching cooking competitions while eating raw cookie dough right from the tub. Santana was tapping away at her cell phone, texting Brittany before her girlfriend took the stage tonight's concert.

"It's like our only night without your other half glued to your side. We should do something fun," Santana said, glancing up from her phone briefly to catch the sight of her best friend looking like a professional couch potato.

"I worked a long day today, San. I just want to chill out."

"You have a whole lifetime to chill out! After the lake house, I'm going back to California and you're going to freaking England. So get off your lazy ass and get dressed, we're going out and being young and stupid."

Quinn knew it was going to be a losing battle for her and she'd rather settle it quietly than with a wrestling match. Santana was known for going to that super competitive place when she didn't get her way and Quinn really wasn't in the mood to wake the beast tonight.

She slumped into the bedroom with Santana right behind her. Quinn rifled through her clothes hanging in the small closet that was stuffed to capacity. Santana started pulling open drawers, knowing whatever Quinn picked would be vetoed immediately.

"Holy shit, you and Berry are really getting it on!" Santana squealed and Quinn spun to face her. She was greeted with the sight of Santana holding up a black harness with a purple dildo attached to it. Quinn immediately went crimson at her friend wiggling it around in her hand. Her and Rachel had just discussed the idea of bringing toys into their relationship the other night and apparently her girlfriend had jumped on Quinn's hesitant agreement by buying a strap on.

"I didn't even know she had that," Quinn whispered, completely mortified, her face burning even hotter.

"How do you not know that your girlfriend has a huge dick in her drawer when you share a room with her for three months?" Santana asked incredulously, her eyes fixated on the strap on. "She's not getting attention somewhere is she? Because I'll kill the midget."

"No, we just discussed it the other night and I told her I'd try it with her. No wonder she was so upset that I agreed to work tomorrow night."

Santana let out a loud chuckle and Quinn glared at her, embarrassment still painted on her typically pale cheeks.

"Judging on what I've heard through the walls for the past month, I think your love life is fine. But you could definitely be having more fun," Santana chided, wiggling the dildo again. Quinn stomped across the room and grabbed it from her hand, stuffing it back in the drawer and closing it with a thud. "I suggest you pack it for some extra lake house fun."

"Do you want to go out or what?" Quinn asked, abruptly changing the subject and turning her attention back to her collection of dresses in the closet.

Santana glided past her and rifled through the closet, extracting a dress and tossing it at Quinn's chest. Quinn slid her sweatpants down off of her legs and pulled the tank top over her head, replacing them with the blue dress. Santana was pawing through the massive heap of shoes that occupied the bottom of the closet. Finally she extracted a pair and tossed them at Quinn as well before straightening up and walking over to the mirror, spinning around and taking in her own appearance.

The club was already filling up when they arrived, despite it being pretty early by NYC standards. Santana flirted with the doorman and they got in on a very reduced cover and were making their way to the bar within minutes. A pretty brunette bartender glided towards them, giving a big, toothy grin to both of them. Santana ordered drinks for herself and Quinn and dropped cash onto the bar before picking up the glasses and handing one to Quinn.

"To your adventures in London and to me finally getting to see Britts again." Quinn lifted her glass and clinked it against the side of Santana's cautiously to avoid spilling the liquor on herself.

She took a sip and watched her best friend take a large swig from her glass. Santana grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the dance floor. It was pretty empty, which wasn't surprising given the time. Most people had just started drinking and were sitting at the small tables that lined the edges of the club. A few girls danced against one another right near the DJ booth and a couple of guys were leading girls onto the dance floor close by. Quinn let Santana grind against her, their hips conjoined as they moved with the music. Quinn could keep a beat, but Santana was definitely the superior dancer from all of her time spent with Brittany. Quinn let the brunette lead happily and she sipped from her drink as Santana's ass brushed against her front repeatedly.

The night wore on and the girls got drunker. Santana had moved on from Quinn to dance with any girl that seemed up for it. Quinn was happy to sit on a stool at the bar, sipping drink after drink and watching her best friend's antics. It was Santana's typical harmless flirting and she noticed that the brunette never lingered with one girl for more than a couple of songs before moving on.

The lights flashed to signal last call and Quinn was immediately pulled off of her stool and back onto the dance floor by her friend. Santana was unsteady on her feet by now, but a big grin had taken up residence on her face and she pulled Quinn in close, dancing with her nose to nose.

"You're my best friend, Q. I love you, girl," she slurred, her hands wrapping tighter around Quinn's waist.

"Love you too, San." She eased the Latina's hands away from her and guided her towards the exit.

It was just past four in the morning when Quinn got her key successfully into the keyhole of the apartment and turned it. She wasn't surprised to see Rachel sitting at the table with a mug in front of her. Even through her drunken haze, Quinn could tell that Rachel was definitely not pleased by their late night escapades. Santana stumbled to the couch and pulled a throw blanket over herself, passing out almost immediately. Rachel picked up her mug, before standing and stalking off to the bedroom. Quinn followed behind her as quickly as her drunken state would allow.

"I'm sorry," she slurred, placing her hand on Rachel's lower back.

"You could have called or texted me at least. You told me that you guys were staying in tonight and I came home after midnight to an empty apartment and no note. I've been worried sick, Quinn." This was worse than Quinn had expected. Rachel didn't care that she had been out late with her best friend, she cared that Quinn hadn't even taken the time to text her and tell her where she was. Manhattan was an awfully big, scary place sometimes and she had never gone out without telling Rachel where she'd be.

She had already apologized and she knew it was Rachel's nature to give a whole lecture. Quinn shrugged off the dress and left it in a pile on the floor before adding her bra to it and pulling a big t-shirt over her head. She crawled into bed in just the shirt and her panties and waited for Rachel's rant.

The brunette was already in her pajamas. Tonight it was a pair of shorts with little musical notes all over them and a black tank top. Quinn licked her lips at her girlfriend's exposed legs before remembering that it was slim to none that she'd be getting laid tonight.

"You're so frustrating sometimes! Tomorrow is basically our last night in the city together and you're choosing work over me! Tonight you went out and got wasted without ever telling me you were going! You could hardly walk into the apartment, Quinn, and Santana was hardly better. I'm not even sure how you managed to make it all the way back here unscathed. You want me to not worry about you when you're in London but you're not even communicating with me when we're on the same island!"

Quinn was getting dizzy from Rachel pacing across their bedroom but tried to maintain her focus. Rachel finally stopped and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at Quinn. Her short hair was sticking out in every direction, eye makeup slightly smeared, cheeks flushed from the alcohol. Everything about her still screamed beautiful and Rachel found herself getting lost in the shining hazel eyes.

"C'mere," Quinn said quietly, holding her arms open for Rachel to climb into. The diva willingly did, laying her head down gently on Quinn's chest and listening to the rhythm of the blonde's heartbeat.

It was the simple reassurance Rachel needed. Quinn was here, safe and in one piece. She had seen the blonde so broken a year ago after the accident and all of the emotions had come rushing back when she had gotten home and Quinn wasn't here. Her Quinn was breathing deeply and steadily in their bed. No beeping machines, no doctors scurrying around and talking in hushed whispers. Just her Quinn running long, slim fingers through her hair calmly.

"What's with the strap on in your bottom drawer?" Quinn asked out of the blue. Rachel sprung up to look at Quinn again, her face beet red.

"I, uh, you know. Our conversation last week." Rachel stuttered over her words, embarrassment flooding her immediately.

"Pack it for next week," Quinn said simply before rolling onto her stomach and passing out. Rachel stared wide-eyed for a minute before shaking herself out of it and leaning over Quinn to flip the light off before curling into Quinn and going to sleep herself.

Rachel was up early the next morning and slipped out of the bed, leaving a peaceful Quinn sleeping. Santana was snoring loudly on the couch. Rachel didn't even feel guilty when she hopped onto her elliptical and the whirring caused Santana to stir on the couch. She heard the grunts and groans before Santana's eyes finally peeked open to glare at her. Rachel smiled smugly at her and upped the pace on the machine, getting lost in the music blaring from her headphones. She knew it was Santana's fault that Quinn hadn't contacted her last night and she was getting her tiny bit of revenge. Santana finally picked up her pillow and trudged to the bedroom to join Quinn in a quiet room. Rachel chuckled and continued her workout in a great mood.

By the time Quinn shuffled into the kitchen, Rachel had already made the coffee and had eaten her breakfast. She was video chatting with her dads on Quinn's laptop at the table and Quinn poured herself a mug of black coffee before sitting down. Rachel immediately turned the screen towards her so that she could say hello to the Berry men. Her hair was a tangled mess and the remnants of last night's makeup left dark circles under her eyes. Leroy giggled at her before she scowled and shoved the computer back towards Rachel, stating that she needed to shower for work.

She returned looking like an actual person, short hair shaggy and wet from the water. Rachel pulled her into a hug, inhaling the scent that was uniquely Quinn. The blonde laughed and held her tighter for a moment, before the hangover reared its ugly head and she lunged for a banana and her coffee.

Santana looked even worse for wear when she appeared five minutes before Quinn had to leave for work. She shot Rachel a death stare before softening at the smell of fresh brewed coffee. Quinn laughed and patted her shoulder before kissing Rachel and slipping a piece of paper into her hand.

"Meet me there around 3," she said mysteriously before giving her girlfriend another peck and heading out the door for work.

Joshua and the tech assistants had already set up when Quinn appeared at the shoot. Joshua appeared from nowhere with a Starbucks coffee for her and she thanked him, immediately taking a big swig and feeling the caffeine starting to warm up her system. This was the biggest shoot of her early career and she needed to kick this hangover as soon as possible.

Mr. Shelski was deep in conversation with the client's manager. He ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was frustrated. The manager walked away a couple of minutes later and Quinn walked up to him. He grunted a hello and focused his attention on his BlackBerry.

"What's wrong, sir?" she asked, head cocked slightly.

"Fucking models are a pain in my ass. We're going to be off schedule by at least an hour unless her manager can get her on track in the next five minutes." His phone rang suddenly and he turned away from Quinn to answer the call.

She slipped by him and headed towards the dressing rooms. The hallway was deserted and she made a beeline for the room that she knew the model was occupying. It was her last shoot with Shelski and she wanted things to go perfectly. She needed him in a good mood because he was supposed to let her shoot most of it.

The model was a young girl, probably only seventeen or eighteen. She had been hired by Vogue for a six-page fashion spread that Mr. Shelski was covering. There were racks and racks of outfits for her to be shot in and it was going to take the majority of the day. An hour delay could easily turn into them working deep into the night.

Quinn knocked authoritatively on the door and was greeted by the model's manager. He looked frazzled, frustrated, and angry all rolled up into one stout, balding man.

"Jessica isn't ready to shoot yet. I just told Shelski that," he said, moving to close the door on Quinn.

"Excuse me, but I'm here to talk to Jessica," Quinn said, looking him straight in the eye and not wavering.

"And who are you?" the manager asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Quinn Fabray. I'll be managing most of the shoot," she said confidently, extending her hand. He shook it firmly and kept his eye trained on her. "I need to talk to Jessica alone now please."

He stared her down for a long moment before stepping aside and allowing Quinn to enter the dressing room. With another glance from her, he slipped out the door and closed it quietly behind him.

Ten minutes later, Jessica was getting her makeup finished and was walking onto the set. Quinn had a smug smile on her face as she cradled the camera, analyzing the angles like Shelski had taught her.

"I have no idea what she does, but it's effective, sir," Joshua whispered to Mr. Shelski. Mr. Shelski's face was emotionless as he eyed his young intern. She commanded a presence on the set and he settled into his chair and allowed her to run it on her own.

Quinn announced lunch break at quarter to three and sat down in her own chair, accepting the bottle of water from Joshua. They were basically right on track to wrap around six, which meant she could be home around seven to pack for Ohio. Her smile widened when she saw a confused brunette enter through the far door, scanning the room. Quinn hopped out of her chair and met the brunette, not hesitating to give her sweeping kiss before taking her hand and leading her over to Joshua and Mr. Shelski.

"Mr. Shelski, Joshua, this is my girlfriend Rachel. Rachel, Mr. Shelski and Joshua." Rachel held her hand out and shook each of their hands before smiling nervously at Quinn. "She's going to hang out for the end of the shoot if that is okay with you."

Mr. Shelski gave her an approving nod and smiled at the brunette.

"You are the subject of most of Miss Fabray's portfolio. I couldn't forget a face with such lovely bone structure," he said in his soft voice, face still unreadable.

"Thank you, Mr. Shelski. Quinn speaks so highly of you."

He gave her another small smile before turning back to his phone that was going off again. Quinn grabbed her hand and sat her in the seat next to Joshua and pecked her cheek.

"Ready to watch me in action?" she asked with an excited grin. Her enthusiasm was contagious and Rachel nodded happily, settling in as Quinn walked back to her camera and called for everybody to return.

The rest of the afternoon flew by. Quinn worked her magic with hardly any interference from Daniel Shelski and Rachel watched in awe. The blonde was confident and assertive, yet soft-spoken and encouraging. There was no doubt that Quinn was completely in her element.

By the time Mr. Shelski declared the shoot wrapped Rachel was buzzing with energy, the frustration of Quinn working on their last night having dissipated. Joshua came over and gave her a kiss on both cheeks and Mr. Shelski shook her hand before ordering people to pack up the equipment.

Rachel wandered over to wait for Quinn by the door. She watched from afar as Joshua spun Quinn around and the blonde giggled happily, hugging him extra tightly when her feet were planted firmly on the ground again. He kissed her cheeks and gave her one more squeeze before releasing her. Quinn walked over to Mr. Shelski, who turned his attention away from his phone to face her. He shook her hand and gave her an awkward half hug, slipping an envelope into her hand. She beamed up at him before shaking his hand again and practically skipping toward the door to meet Rachel.

"What's in the envelope?" Rachel asks as they stroll hand-in-hand back towards the apartment. It's approaching sunset and their stomachs are growling with hunger and clothes are sticking to them from the humid New York air.

"A recommendation letter, an offer to continue my internship next summer, and a bonus check for five hundred dollars," Quinn says nonchalantly, leading Rachel across the street and wiping her sweaty brow on the back of her hand.

"Five hundred dollars?! That's like weeks of work."

"He told me to put it to good use to spoil my beautiful girlfriend and to explore Europe." Quinn was smiling and looked radiant despite the sticky weather.

"I like Daniel Shelski," Rachel concluded, tightening her grip on Quinn's hand as they descended the stairs of the subway terminal.

They picked up takeout Italian food on the walk from their subway stop and Rachel served it on actual plates with candles at the dining room table. It didn't matter that Kurt was squealing at Santana in his bedroom as the Latina tried to help him pack for the trip or that the TV was still tuned to Santana's trashy reality show.

As soon as the dinner plates were cleared, Rachel ushered Quinn into the bedroom insisting that she get her packing done. Quinn doesn't fight it and closes the door behind them, laughing at the appalled screams coming from Kurt after Santana insults his outfit choices.

Rachel pulled Quinn's duffel bag out of the closet and thrust it into Quinn's chest with an urgency that meant Quinn wouldn't be able to distract her. With a sigh, she walked to the dresser and opened her drawers, stacking underwear and socks neatly in the suitcase. Rachel sprawled out on the bed, laptop open in front of her and the voice of Barbra coming softly out of the speakers. Her pink rolling suitcase and matching carryon bag were stacked neatly by the door with a sticky note that served as her last minute checklist. Quinn didn't take much thought about what she added to the bag and just filled it until the zipper was stretched tightly when she finally got it closed. She gave a triumphant giggle before collapsing next to Rachel on the bed.

The brunette was flipping through pictures they had taken over the last year. One of Rachel leaning back on Quinn's legs on the porch of the lake house was followed by a shot of Rachel curled into Quinn's side wearing a Yale sweatshirt at their first college football game. There were tons from the summer, some from Quinn's iPhone, others taken with her growing camera collection. In all of them, they looked incredibly happy.

"What a perfect night," Rachel breathed, pausing on a picture of the two of them posed in the lobby of the Gershwin theatre before seeing Wicked. Rachel was clutching her playbill to her chest and smiling widely with her arms thrown around Quinn's neck. Quinn was more reserved, but her smile reached her eyes, which were sparkling with happiness.

Quinn murmured her agreement, nuzzling her face into Rachel's shoulder and basking in the warmth of soft, tanned skin. Rachel had been her enemy turned best friend turned lover since they had met. Quinn couldn't believe than anything but fate had gotten them this far. Four years ago she was torturing Rachel Berry and now she was lying on their shared bed watching a slideshow of their joint happy memories.

"Shelby invited us over for dinner on Saturday so we can see Beth before we leave for the lake," Quinn said happily. She hadn't seen her daughter in person since her last break from school and video chatting just wasn't enough.

"I can't believe Beth is three," Rachel said, exiting the slideshow and opening a different folder of pictures. This one was mostly of glee club, the earliest ones showing Quinn with a tiny baby bump that eventually would result in Beth.

"I'm nineteen and I have a three year old daughter. I definitely never thought this would be my life," Quinn mused, her voice hushed.

"You also graduated valedictorian, won a National title, aced your freshman year at Yale, got published in a magazine and fell in love by the time you turned nineteen," Rachel countered.

"I love you, Rach," Quinn said softly, the words falling from her lips like velvet.

"I love you, too," Rachel responded, closing the laptop and meeting Quinn's lips with her own with a soft caress.

~!~!~!~

"Berry, I'm going to kill you if you don't shut up!" Santana moaned from the backseat, her arms crossed menacingly over her chest.

They were only a quarter of the way through Pennsylvania and Santana had already had it with Rachel's incessant singing and complete control of the iPod. Quinn tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as they cruised along the highway, humming along with Rachel's playlist. This just infuriated Santana even further.

"I think it's my turn to be co-captain. Switch seats with me, Berry," commanded Santana, unbuckling her seatbelt to make the switch.

"I will not be switching seats while the vehicle is moving, Santana. Plus, I gave you the itinerary for the trip. We are not expected to stop for another fifty miles, at which time I will become the driver and you can be the co-captain so that Quinn may take her break."

"How do you stand her for this amount of time straight?" Santana asked Quinn, nudging the back of Rachel's seat with her knee annoyingly.

"Why didn't we make her find her own way home from New York?" Rachel asked rhetorically, turning the volume knob up on the car radio and singing over it to drown out Santana's consistent whining.

Less than ten minutes later, Quinn pulled her car into a rest area and threw it into park. Rachel looked at her in complete confusion and then consulted the travel itinerary.

"We're not due for a restroom break for another forty miles," she said seriously, tapping the open folder in her hands.

"Santana, you're driving. Rach, in the back."

Quinn unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car, staring expectantly at the other two. Santana leaped out and smacked Quinn's ass as she moved past her into the driver's seat. Rachel remained frozen in the passenger seat, still holding her folder with the itinerary. Quinn opened the door and gestured for her to vacate the seat. It took a little more coercing than she had imagined, but finally Rachel relinquished the front seat and resettled in the backseat.

Santana pulled the car back out onto the highway and Quinn scrolled through the iPod before choosing more soothing music. Rachel pushed her headphones into her ears and hummed softly under her breath from behind Quinn.

The rest of the journey occurred with very little problem. Quinn adjusted the schedule for her own sanity, making sure to keep in plenty of regular bathroom stops for Rachel and tons of coffee stops for Santana, which helped both girls' moods in the long run.

It was dusk when Quinn pulled the car into Santana's driveway. The Latina grabbed her bags from the trunk and waved goodbye as Quinn eased the car back out of the driveway and headed towards Rachel's house.

Both Berry men were waiting for them on the front porch. As soon as her car turned the corner, she saw them leap up with excitement and charge towards the driveway. Quinn parked her car behind Hiram's and cut the engine before clamoring out. Leroy was already swinging around Rachel by the time Quinn reached them. Hiram pulled her into a tight, one-arm hug and kissed her temple in a fatherly manner. She smiled at the sight of her girlfriend's giddiness with her dad.

"It's been way too long!" Leroy exclaimed after he finally released Rachel to give Hiram his turn to greet their daughter. He moved to give Quinn a bear hug in the meantime. Quinn's heart jumped with happiness at seeing them again. It had been almost eight months.

Quinn let them convince her to stay for a glass of lemonade before she insisted that she get home to see Judy. Rachel gave her a deep kiss goodbye, which made Leroy whistle at them. Quinn blushed at the public display on Rachel's front lawn, but kissed Rachel's forehead before releasing her girlfriend. They hadn't been separated for a night in months and she wasn't looking forward to it.

Judy was more reserved in her greeting, but she still hugged Quinn tightly and helped her carry the luggage into the foyer. The house smelled like Judy's home cooking and Quinn's stomach growled at the delicious meal that she knew awaited her. Judy shooed her to wash up and she lugged her bags into her bedroom and did so before joining her mom at the table.

They chatted amicably about the drive and Quinn's internship. Quinn had noticed that her mom had gotten her photos from Cosmo framed and they were on the mantelpiece. Judy seemed happy as she sipped her sparkling water and ate at the long, formal table with her youngest daughter.

"How do you feel about Ted moving in here?" Judy asked, dropping her fork onto her plate and taking a large gulp from her glass.

Quinn looked up at her mom with interest. She could she the anxiety in Judy's face, obviously seeking Quinn's permission before inviting a new man to live in the house. Quinn had been around Ted dozens of times now and her mom was constantly talking about him when she called to catch up. More than anything though, Judy seemed a lot less lonely when Ted was around and infinitely happier.

"Mom, if he really makes you happy and you're ready for it, then I say go for it," she responded with a grin. It'd be nice to know that her mom wasn't alone in the big house while she was away at school. "You guys should redecorate though, I'm sick of how much I still see of Dad in this house."

Judy smiled and agreed before inviting Quinn to go shopping with them for new furniture. She declined, telling her mom that it should be her and Ted's decision now as long as they left her bedroom for her to do. Quinn helped Judy put away the leftovers and loaded the dishwashers before she collapsed onto the couch and started channel surfing. In the next room, she could hear her mom giggling like a schoolgirl into the phone. This house was much different than it had been when she left for college. It was finally turning into a home.

~!~!~!~

Quinn showed up at the Berry's in time for Leroy's waffles the next morning. Rachel had already worked out and showered and was sitting at the island chatting with her dads. She jumped up at the sound of the front door and ran to smother Quinn with a hug and a kiss, before dragging her by the hand into the kitchen. The Berry men just smiled at their love struck daughter and the more reserved blonde. It felt natural to have the two girls stomping around the kitchen and getting in the way as they danced and sang along with the radio and set the table.

Hiram immediately badgered Quinn about her internship, wanting a full list of all of her celebrity clients. He was practically drooling over her stories of which ones were difficult to work with, which ones are airbrushed to no end, and which ones she actually got to speak to or photograph. Just like at her own house, there was a framed copy of her page in Cosmopolitan hanging on the wall amongst Rachel's many accomplishments in the family room.

"Quinn just did a fashion photo shoot for Vogue that should be in their October issue," Rachel bragged to her fathers, eying the photos on the wall.

"That reminds me. You need to sign your photos for us, Quinn-girl. Otherwise it's just weird that we have pretty girls hanging on our wall that isn't our daughter." Quinn laughed and took the Sharpie from Leroy as Hiram pulled open the frame. She wrote her name in her loopy script on the bottom of the page next to where her name was in print. Hiram blew on it until the ink was dry and then reassembled the frame and put it back up on the wall.

"Perfect, now there's finally something on the wall that isn't one of our overachieving daughter's awards," Leroy chided, nudging Rachel with his elbow. She frowned dramatically and Quinn slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. She felt the brunette's body relax under her touch and she dropped her head onto Rachel's shoulder as she admired her own accomplishment amongst nineteen years of Rachel's successes.

The girls spent the afternoon frolicking around Lima, visiting friends and reliving the memories that the small town held. It had been Rachel's home her entire life and Quinn's for the past five years. In all of that time, it hadn't changed much. There was a corner store by the high school where the football players bought their slushies. Breadstix was still the only decent restaurant. The Lima Bean was packed with high school students enjoying their summer vacation and with moms meeting their friends, strollers parked next to them with babies and toddlers gurgling in them.

"I love New York, but there's something calming about being back in Lima," Rachel commented, one hand holding her iced coffee, the other linked with Quinn's as they walked down the sidewalk past kids running through a sprinkler on their front lawn.

"I'm glad we're out of here," Quinn said, noticing the look that a passing mom with a stroller gave their interlocked hands.

"I just don't want us to forget where we came from when we're famous," said Rachel, her eyes clouding over as she thought of her dreams.

"Your dads and my mom and Ted are here, Rach. It's impossible to forget about Lima and Lima is definitely not going to forget about you when you're belting on Broadway."

"Well you're already semi-famous here. My dads said that when word got out that you had been published in Cosmopolitan, the corner store sold out of all of their copies pretty much immediately."

Quinn blushed, not used to the idea that people actually thought she was something special.

"You're going to be a sought-out fashion photographer before you're even done with Yale. Better get used to the spotlight."

"Do you think that being a photographer is really a viable career option though? It's not exactly the stable, job-with-benefits I've planned on achieving," Quinn said, pulling Rachel down onto a park bench with her.

"Are you seriously asking the person that wants to be a Broadway actress if you should follow your heart instead of settling into some boring nine-to-five desk job?" Rachel asked with a laugh.

"I'm an English major. I love to read and write just like I love photography and it's what my degree will actually be in."

"Stop being sensible, grounded Quinn. You're going to London to study under a bigwig photographer. You worked for one of the best young photographers on the East Coast all summer and he loved you enough to invite you back next summer. If you don't love photography, then don't pursue it. But don't back down just because it's not what you think you should be doing."

Quinn hadn't been expecting a Rachel Berry rant on the topic. She loved photography, but she worried that she would be missing out on her other loves if she didn't pursue English as heavily because of this new hobby. As a child, books had saved her and it was always a far-off dream that someday she would write something like the books of her childhood. She imagined sitting in coffee shops writing on Sunday afternoons while she went to graduate school or worked full-time at a steady job.

Was it Rachel's ambition rubbing off on her? Photography was a new hobby, just like her drawing was. It wasn't a serious career path that she should actually be pursuing. Yet Daniel Shelski had gotten her published twice in her first summer of trying it out. She was going to London to study both photography and focus on her English degree. Rachel always had lofty dreams and she worked her ass off to achieve them. But Quinn had just taken up a hobby that she happened to be good at and now was being told that she should make a living out of it. It was all too overwhelming.

"Will you love me even if I'm not some famous photographer?" Quinn asked shying, brushing her thumb along the back of Rachel's hand.

"It's impossible to not love you, Quinn Fabray. If you want to be a housewife to our four beautiful children while I'm working on the big stage under the bright lights, that will be just as perfect to me."

"Four?!" Quinn exclaimed and Rachel giggled happily, scooting even closer to Quinn on the bench.

"It's a negotiable number, but I want a big family. I love my dads dearly, but being an only child is lonely and I want a vibrant household."

"Speaking of children, we better get home if we're going to be on time to see my daughter," Quinn said, glancing down at her watch.

They walked back to Rachel's house to pick up Quinn's car before driving across Lima to see Shelby and Beth. Inside, they heard the doorbell go off and the pattering of footsteps. Shelby's louder but slower footsteps joined them and the door was swung open.

The little girl with wavy blonde hair looked up at them. Quinn swooned at the twinkling brown eyes of her daughter and her goofy little smile. Shelby swung the door completely open and ushered them into the house.

"Quinn!" Beth squealed and threw her little arms around Quinn's knees. Quinn was delighted by the little girl's enthusiasm. They had been video chatting since Christmas break and she was glad that her daughter actually knew who she was.

"Hey, Beth! You remember Rachel right?" she said, leaning down to scoop up the little girl and kiss her cheek. Beth nodded happily and smiled in Rachel's direction.

Shelby showed them through the apartment to the living room and left the girls to play with Beth as she finished up dinner. Rachel and Quinn joined Beth on the floor and Quinn was enamored by Beth's growing vocabulary and interests. It seemed surreal that she had been in the hospital having this perfect little baby over three years ago.

Dinner was delicious and Beth sat in her booster seat, using her fork and talking animatedly through mouthfuls of food to her guests. Rachel and Quinn enjoyed her babble immensely and Quinn couldn't help but notice little pieces of herself and Puck in the beautiful toddler sitting across from her. However, she was surprised to notice little things about Rachel in her daughter. She figured it was from being around Shelby and there was no denying that Rachel was Shelby's biological daughter in some regards.

Once the dinner plates were cleared, Shelby served them warm slices of apple pie with scoops of vanilla ice cream and Beth squealed in excitement over her dessert. She quickly became a sticky mess as ice cream dripped down her chin and cheeks as she took huge mouthfuls. As soon as she finished, Quinn grabbed a wipe and washed off a sticky Beth, who gurgled happily and tried to wriggle away.

It was quickly reaching Beth's bedtime, so Shelby walked them to the door. Quinn carried Beth, who was rubbing her eyes, her little head drooping against Quinn's shoulder.

"Bye-bye, Beth. I love you, baby girl," she said softly, dropping a kiss onto her little blonde head. Rachel leaned over and kissed Beth's forehead before Quinn passed her carefully to Shelby.

"Thanks for having us, Shelby," Rachel said politely, letting Shelby give her a small one-arm hug.

Quinn moved forward to give Shelby a small hug as well and patted Beth's head affectionately before opening the front door.

"Bye, girls!" Shelby said with a wave, bouncing Beth lightly on her hip.

They had to be up early to drive to the lake house, so Quinn dropped Rachel off at her house. It took a few minutes to convince Rachel to pull her lips off of Quinn's in order to into the house. If she hadn't, Quinn didn't think she was going to be able to resist straddling her girlfriend and taking her right there in the driveway, so really it was for the best.

Quinn clomped up the stairs of her house to make sure she was packed for the trip. She had done most of it in New York and just had to collect some of her belongings and toss them in the bag. With Rachel's good influence, her bag wasn't overflowing like it had been last year. But this time, she also planned on spending all of her time in a bikini by the lake or naked in bed with Rachel.

**All packed up. I'll pick you up bright and early, princess.**

She smiled at her phone, remembering texting Rachel the night before leaving for the lake last year. They were just best friends at that point; Quinn hadn't even thought about the possibility of falling in love with the diva.

**Can't wait. Love you baby.**

Quinn threw her book into her backpack before crawling into bed and turning off the bedside lamp. Tomorrow she'd be heading back to the place that she finally noticed that she could be happy in a way she had never imagined.


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

The lake house looked just like Rachel had remembered it as Quinn pulled her car up the gravel driveway and tossed it into park. Without waiting for her to turn off the ignition, Rachel bounded out of the passenger seat and skipped to the front door, turning the key in the lock and throwing it open.

Quinn and Santana walked up behind her, their arms laden in luggage and grocery bags. She kissed Quinn's cheek and ran up the stairs to the room she had shared with Quinn last year. Her joyous squeal echoed through the house as she flopped down on the bed, inhaling the essence of the lake house.

The three of them unpacked and put away the groceries in the kitchen before changing into bathing suits and heading down to the lake. The four boys should be there in a few hours just in time for dinner and Brittany would get in midweek when she got her leave from the tour.

Rachel spread out the blanket on the sand and sprawled out, basking in the warm rays that the sun was beating down on her. The New York lifestyle had impeded her typical summer tanning routine and she was determined to make it up during this week.

Unsurprisingly, Santana was lounging in a barely there white bikini that complemented her dark features beautifully. Her headphones were in her ears and her iPod lay next to her on the blanket. Quinn was already enraptured with her latest novel that she had picked from a secondhand bookstore in Manhattan. She hadn't even stripped off her dress before she had settled in and Rachel smiled at how relaxed she looked, blonde hair falling messily to her shoulders and aviators covering the eyes that she knew were flying across the words on the page in front of her.

It was the perfect, peaceful afternoon. Eventually the girls tore themselves from the beach in order to appease their growling stomachs. They cranked up the music and danced around one another in the kitchen as they pulled together dinner for them all.

Just as they were putting the finishing touches on the table, the boys stormed through the door. Kurt and Blaine dropped their collection of luggage in the entryway and made a beeline to say hello to the girls. Puck and Finn moved right past them to put the beer in the fridge, pulling out a handful of bottles to enjoy with dinner.

They sat down to eat together, the energy buzzing with the excitement that the vacation week offered them. It had been a year since the seven of them had been in a room all together and they spent the time catching up on the lost months.

Puck was sporting a deep tan on his muscled arms from his pool cleaning/landscaping business. He had met a couple of guys at Lima Community College that had helped him expand and he was doing well for himself in the small town.

Finn updated them on his new assignment to a base in Texas where he was training to be an army mechanic. Apparently the knowledge of cars he had gained from working in the garage was coming in handy and he seemed to speak with a renewed sense of dignity.

Blaine had chosen to go to UCLA. He was pursuing acting and singing like he had always planned, but seemed happy with a choice that didn't involve New York. Los Angeles meant being closer to his older brother, who had just landed another musical commercial and claimed that his career was really taking off. Plus Mercedes and Brittany were making connections in the business there, so it seemed like a good fit for him too.

Santana talked to Blaine about LA and Brittany's tour and about the epic summer that she had in New York. Quinn smiled at her best friend, finally seeing the light reignite while discussing her soon-to-be reunion with Britt.

Quinn shared her own tales of life in the Ivy League, but Rachel kept interjecting, adding her own details to Quinn's anecdotes. Blaine cooed at how adorable they still were while Finn remained silent, sipping his beer and not commenting.

The booze slowly loosened them up, turning the discussion from classes and credits to the wild nights out. Puck was especially interested to know about "the hot brunette that Quinn was doing on the side" having seen the pictures that had surfaced on Facebook over the course of the year. Rachel filled him in Jess' sexual promiscuity while promising that he was 100% not her type. He frowned unhappily at finding out that yet another smoking hot girl was off of his list, but Rachel laughed at promised to introduce him to some hot theatre majors if he ever came to visit in the city.

The night didn't turn into childish antics like it had last year and Rachel was happy to just be able to cuddle up with Quinn amongst their closest friends. The hours sped away from them and Quinn's head started drooping against her shoulder, so they all decided to call it a night. Blaine and Puck took a room together, leaving the stepbrothers with the other and Santana disappeared into her and Brittany's room alone.

Quinn and Rachel changed into their pajamas and got ready for bed, easily moving around one another in a familiar routine. It was so different than last year had been when they were just friends coexisting in the same room for a week and Rachel felt warm about how things had turned out.

She stepped out onto the balcony, being immediately greeted with the warm breeze of a perfect August night. The beautiful view was exactly how she had remembered it and she sighed happily. Quinn slipped out the sliding door and wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist, resting her chin on Rachel's shoulder and inhaling the sweet scent of Rachel's shampoo.

"How did I get so lucky?" Rachel murmured, turning to drop a light kiss on Quinn's cheek. Quinn hummed in content, not having an answer because she felt like the luckiest one.

The sun was shining brightly the next morning when Rachel stretched her limbs and sprung out of bed. It was quarter past seven and Quinn was still a huddled mass under the comforter, her breathing deep and even. Rachel tiptoed around the room, getting dressed and pulling on her running sneakers.

Quinn and Blaine were sitting on the front porch when Rachel reappeared from her run. They were sipping coffee from steaming mugs and Rachel stopped only enough to give Quinn a quick kiss before heading for the shower. By the time she joined them again with her own coffee, Kurt and Finn had joined them. Everybody was dressed for a day of fun at the lake, but to Rachel, nobody looked as good as Quinn did. The blonde was wearing a simple pure white beach cover up that stopped mid-thigh. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail at the nape of her neck and her hazel eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

Deciding to leave Puck and Santana to sleep, they packed up the cooler and headed down to the water's edge. Quinn immediately pulled the battered paperback out of her tote bag and settled down on her towel to immerse herself in the pages. Kurt and Blaine were taking their tanning very seriously on their separate towels. Rachel's attention turned to Finn, who looked uncomfortable and restless.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" Rachel asked him, pushing up from her own towel and looking at him directly. His eyes immediately turned towards Quinn, who was lounged only a couple of feet away from him.

"Uh, is that okay with Quinn?" he asked, still nervously gazing at the blonde, waiting for scary Quinn to erupt from the peaceful body.

"Go ahead," mumbled Quinn, turning the page of her book and not even bothering to look up. Rachel gave a satisfied smile before skipping down towards the water.

Finn sauntered behind her, hands shoved deeply in the pockets of his Hawaiian print board shorts. His shoulders and chest had filled out from the physical demands of the army. He looked strong and he even had traces of six-pack abs appearing. Rachel couldn't help but admire the man he was growing into.

He ran a hand through his short hair, still obviously nervous to be alone with his ex-girlfriend especially after what had happened on his trip to New York. Rachel was radiating happiness as she slowed to walk beside him. Her tiny jean shorts were unbuttoned exposing the matching bikini bottoms to match the small triangles on her chest. It was hard for him to avoid looking at her; he had thought she was pretty in high school but she had turned into a bombshell in the last year. Gone were the ugly sweaters and now she was flaunting hard abs and toned legs that had only gotten even better.

Finn forced his eyes to look ahead along the coastline before Quinn could catch him ogling her girlfriend. Ever since this relationship between his two exes had started, he was on the receiving end of scary Quinn more than ever. She was fiercely protective of the tiny diva and Finn figured it was better to not provoke her.

"Do you like the army?" Rachel asked, her arms swinging at her sides as the walked.

Finn shrugged. In all honesty, he didn't hate the army. It was a steady schedule and he was proud to be serving his country, but the travel and being cut off from his friends for months at a time weren't that enjoyable. Getting over Rachel had been especially hard when he didn't have time to meet other girls and move on with his life.

"It's alright I guess," he said, voice void of emotion. "How's New York?"

"Everything about it is wonderful! I love all the people and the lights and the noise. My classes are hard yet rewarding and I had a great internship all summer that gives me more connections in the business. Plus it's not too far away from Yale so I get to see Quinn a lot."

She was rambling, but Finn actually listened hearing the obvious enthusiasm in her voice. Rachel's dreams were all well on their way to coming true. Finn had never really doubted that Rachel would make it in New York; if anybody was going to it was always going to be Rachel.

"Quinn seems excited about London," he prodded, wondering how Rachel felt about it. The idea that him and Rachel were going to be separated was what really led to the demise of their relationship.

"Yeah, she's worked really hard to get there and it's supposed to be a fantastic opportunity for her future career. I just wish there wasn't going to be an ocean between us for four months."

"So you guys are staying together while she's away?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Of course we are! Why wouldn't we?" He knew immediately that he had said the wrong thing.

"I, uh, just wanted to make sure," he fumbled, trying to repair the situation before Rachel got angry.

He figured it was time to turn and walk back towards their strip of shore. It was a quiet walk considering Rachel typically talked everybody's ears off. Puck and Santana had joined their friends while they were gone and Santana was oiling herself up. He licked his lips at the delicious sight of a huge expanse of flawless skin exposed. It was impossible to not find Santana attractive; despite it being a horrible decision given the circumstances, he had to say that it was definitely bragging rights to have lost his virginity to such a bombshell.

Puck was tossing a football in the air to himself, obviously waiting for Finn to come back and join him in having a catch. Finn ran up the sand away from Rachel's sides, hands open and ready to receive the ball. Puck popped up from his spot and tossed the football into Finn's waiting hands.

Rachel settled down on her towel next to Quinn, who was still lying with her nose buried in the book. She leaned over to run a hand down the bare skin of Quinn's back, smiling at the shudder she elicited from her girlfriend.

"Rach, I'm reading," she whined playfully, dog-earing her page and turning to look into the chocolate brown eyes beside her.

"And I'm rubbing your back. What's your point?" Rachel asked with a devilish grin. Quinn arched her eyebrow at her girlfriend in curiosity.

"So all you want to do is rub my back?" Quinn queried.

"What are you insinuating, Fabray? We're in public surrounded by our friends. Of course I just meant rubbing your back."

"Oh, well I was thinking about heading back up to the house to make some lunch and take a nap," Quinn commented with a sly grin.

Rachel snapped to attention and immediately started throwing her belongings back into the bag. Santana looked over at the commotion and gave Quinn a knowing smirk before turning back to her sunbathing. Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand and pulled her to her feet, dragging her unceremoniously back up to the house.

Puck started a slow clap when they emerged from upstairs a few hours later, hair wild and rosy cheeked. Quinn gave a shy smile and Rachel squeezed her hand, grinning from ear to ear. She likes the attention of being with Quinn; she's always noticed the way that Quinn's presence automatically earns her attention from everybody in a room. Being on Quinn Fabray's arm means she gets the glances too, most of them accompanied by jealous stares. In Rachel's eyes, any attention is good attention, especially when it means still being the one leaving with Quinn at the end of the night.

The boys had gotten dinner together, the burgers and hot dogs piled high on a serving platter. There was a smaller plate with a couple of veggie burgers placed beside it. Quinn and Rachel slid into seats at the dining room table next to Santana while Blaine and Kurt carried over the salads. Puck and Finn grabbed an armful of beers from the fridge and passed them out before cracking open their own and sitting down at the table.

Rachel basked in the feeling of being around her dysfunctional second family. Puck is telling some crude story about a sorority girl from Ohio State that he met that has Finn high-fiving him and Santana laughs raucously. Quinn's lips are curled up in amusement, but her brow is furrowed at Puck's crassness. Blaine and Kurt were talking amongst themselves about Blaine's program at UCLA and Rachel is happy to see them getting along after the breakup. They've had drama and fights and breakups and makeups, but they've still found a way to be sitting around the same table like the family she had always dreamt of having.

After dinner, Puck and Quinn extract their guitars and they all sit on the front porch. Santana and Kurt are yelling out requests and Rachel's eyes are fixated on Quinn's hands. They were pale and thin in contrast to Puck's set of tanned large ones. Her fingers move to push on the strings in various chords while her right hand is strumming gracefully with a pick. She's only playing simple chords, but her blonde hair falls over her cheek as she focuses on her hand moving on the guitar. Rachel can't take her eyes away from her, letting her eyes rake shamelessly over Quinn's lightly sunburned shoulders and down the light blue sundress. It was hitched up a little bit under the guitar resting on her lap, leaving plenty of porcelain thigh exposed.

Santana moves over and leans her head against Rachel's shoulder, fingers tapping restlessly on her lap. Her cell phone was resting on the porch beside her and she kept checking it, obviously hoping for a message from Brittany. Rachel reached over and grasped Santana's jittery fingers, feeling them relax and still under her own. Quinn looks up and smiles at the sight of her best friend and girlfriend intertwined casually against one another as they leaned against the railing of the porch.

Quinn pulls a very tired Rachel up from the porch and helps her into the house and up the stairs to their bedroom. Rachel is rubbing her eyes and yawning loudly. Quinn takes a set of pajamas out of Rachel's drawer and brings them over to Rachel, but the brunette shakes her head. She stripped out of her dress and unclasped her bra before immediately climbing under the covers. Quinn smiles at her girlfriend's impish smirk before pulling her sundress over her head and letting her own bra fall to the floor next to Rachel's. She slid into the bed and sighed as Rachel immediately rolled into her side, their warm bare bodies pressed together. It didn't take long until they both drifted off.

The smell of eggs and bacon came wafting up the stairs, awaking Quinn. Rachel's side of the bed was cold; the brunette had obviously already left for her morning run. Quinn took a short shower and got dressed before heading down to the kitchen. Santana and Blaine were giggling and tossing pancake flour at one another, a big bowl of scrambled eggs and a pile of bacon already set out on the dining room table.

As soon as Santana spotted Quinn, she flashed a troublesome smile before tossing a whole handful of flour in Quinn's direction. The blonde squealed and tried to duck but was unsuccessful. Blaine released another round of giggles before handing her a wet dishcloth to wipe her face.

"You are dead, Lopez," Quinn said through gritted teeth, wiping her face with the towel before dropping it on the counter and reaching for a mug to fill with scalding coffee. "Better watch your back."

"B will be here later. You know she'll never let you hurt me," said Santana, her tone cocky as she cracked a couple of eggs into the bowl and stirred the pancake batter.

"Wow, the coward needs to hide behind her girlfriend because she's so scared of rightful revenge?" Quinn retorted with a smirk.

The back door opened and Rachel came through the threshold, sweat dripping down her arms and chest. Her spandex pants and sports bra outlined all of her curves and both Quinn and Santana stopped their argument to check her out.

"What has happened in here?" Rachel asked, surveying the mess of flour that covered every surface in the kitchen.

Blaine just giggled and shook his head. Quinn licked her lips at the sight of the sweat beads dripping down into the valley between Rachel's breasts. Santana wasn't doing any better at obviously leering at the diva.

"You girls are ridiculous. I'm gonna go wake the boys for breakfast," he said and left the kitchen.

"Neither of you will be leaving to go shopping until this place is cleaned," Rachel said authoritatively before pushing past Santana to extract a bottle of water from the fridge. She twisted the cap off and took a long swig before turning back to the girls.

"Quinn, honey, are you okay?" she asked with concerned eyes.

"Upstairs. Now," demanded Quinn before turning on a dime and taking off for their bedroom. Rachel gave Santana a shrug before following Quinn.

They returned an hour later, both of them freshly showered and dressed for a day of shopping. A plate of cold bacon was left for Quinn and Rachel pulled some cereal from a cabinet to make her own breakfast. The kitchen was spotless and Quinn had no doubt that Santana had done it to try and avoid Quinn's revenge.

The Latina reappeared as they were washing off their breakfast dishes wearing a tiny pair of denim shorts, a low cut white tank top and a pair of sandals.

"You bitches ready to shop or what?" she asked with a smirk, pulling her purse up to rest on her shoulder.

Rachel nodded and turned off the water. Quinn picked up her keys and purse before leading the way out to the car.

Santana spent the afternoon trying on a million outfits and trying to coax the other two to do the same. Rachel dragged them through souvenir shops, picking up painted shells and flipping through the ridiculous t-shirts. Quinn glided through them all, smiling at the banter between her girlfriend and best friend. The summer living together had definitely changed the dynamic of Santana and Rachel's friendship. She also couldn't help but notice that Santana's eyes found Rachel's cleavage more often than not.

By late afternoon, Santana was whining that she was starving so they left the shops and headed into a little place on the outskirts of town. The sunny deck sat on the lake and they sipped on their drinks while they waited for their food to come.

"Are you excited that Brittany is arriving tonight?" Rachel asked.

Santana peeled her eyes from the water skier on the lake to look at Rachel.

"Of course I am. I've hardly spent three days with her in the past six months."

"You look nervous," Quinn said, her gaze x-raying her best friend.

"Okay fine, I'm nervous. She's been out partying and touring the world with a famous performer. What if she's bored with our normal life now? What if she hates the ring?"

Rachel nearly spit her water out across the table.

"Ring?" she said, words failing her.

"San, I thought we said that proposing right now wasn't a good option," Quinn said softly.

"Shit, chill out, guys. I'm not proposing right now. It's just a promise ring. Thanks for your support though," Santana said coldly, picking up her drink again and turning to face the lake.

"You know I think you and Britt are perfect for one another. But you're only nineteen, San; there's plenty of time for marriage and I just don't want you to rush into it. When the day comes for you to marry her, I'll be standing next to you, I promise," Quinn said sincerely, leaning over the table to place her hand on top of Santana's.

"Can we see the ring?" Rachel asked excitedly. Santana turned back to her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

The boys were playing video games on the big flat screen in the living room when the girls returned. Kurt scowled at them and whined about being left with the boys' barbaric antics while they shopped. He was sitting in the armchair messing around on his iPad and rolling his eyes at the other three as the sound of gunfire went off repeatedly on the screen.

Santana immediately dropped her bags by the door and went to join the boys, tearing the Xbox controller from Puck and immediately blowing the head off of Finn, causing the tall boy to curse under his breath. Quinn and Rachel flopped onto the couch, immediately falling into one another. Kurt raised an eyebrow at them before giving in and smiling at them.

Puck appeared in the room again with a beer in his hand and his shirt off. Quinn rolled her eyes as she watched him flex in the mirror as he walked by.

"Have you seen Beth lately?" she asked as Puck sat down across from them. He took a long swig from his beer.

"Yeah a little over a week ago. I try to get over there a couple of times a month if Shelby allows it. She's something, isn't she?" he said, a wistful smile on his face. Quinn felt a twinge of guilt at having forced Puck to give up their daughter.

"I just can't believe our daughter is three years old already," Quinn said breathlessly. It felt like just yesterday that she was lying in the hospital holding that tiny bundle of blankets in her arms.

"Did Shelby mention that she got a job offer in New Jersey?" Puck said, his eyes sad.

"No! She's moving to New Jersey?" exclaimed Quinn. Rachel's attention turned to the conversation as well.

"She hasn't accepted it yet. I think she's afraid of taking Beth so far away from me again. But New Jersey means she'd be close to you and Rach at least," he said.

"I'm so sorry, Puck," Quinn breathed. Her heart hurt just at the thought of Puck losing the ability to see Beth.

"It's what's best for Beth and I would never do anything to get in the way of that. I'm gonna try to save my pool cleaning and landscaping money to move out there next year.

"Well you're always welcome to stay with me in the city if you want to come visit her, Noah. Kurt and I would be happy to have you."

"Thanks, Rachel," he said, swiping at the tear that threatened to leak from the corner of his eye.

Finn threw down his controller, grumbling. Santana was whooping happily and pumping her fist next to him.

"Don't be such a baby, Hudson. You should be used to getting your ass handed to you by a girl considering your ex-girlfriends are dating one another."

"Fuck you, Santana," Finn said before stomping up the stairs.

"Time to make dinner I think," said Blaine, getting up and heading for the kitchen.

They were already sitting at the picnic table in the backyard by the time Finn reappeared with a half empty beer in his hand. Everybody ignored his presence, not wanting to set off another bomb. He slid onto the end of the bench next to Kurt and reached for a hamburger.

"There are supposed to be fireworks in town tonight. Anybody interested?" Kurt asked, surveying the table.

"I'm gonna stay here and wait for Britts; I don't know what time she's actually going to get in."

"Sounds good to us," Rachel responded for both her and Quinn.

"Can we bring booze?" Puck asked.

It was soon decided that everybody but Santana would be heading into town. Quinn laid on Santana's bed as Rachel finished getting ready in the next room.

"Are you giving it to her tonight?" Quinn asked, eying the velvet box sitting on the dresser.

"Yeah, from behind," Santana said crudely as she applied her eyeliner.

"You're so immature," Quinn chided, rolling her eyes at her best friend.

"You still love me," Santana said with a shrug.

"Ready, Quinn?" asked Rachel, who had just appeared in the doorway.

"Damn, Berry!" Santana said, eyes wide. Rachel's white shorts hardly covered her ass and her tight top showed an abundance of cleavage.

Rachel's cheeks turned pink and she looked down at her feet. It was still weird to not have Santana make fun of everything she put on. Quinn walked over and threw her arms around Rachel's waist, rubbing her fingers playfully on Rachel's lower back.

"You look beautiful, Rach," she breathed, leaning down to kiss Rachel's lips.

"Seriously, get out of here before I hurl. I gots to get ready for Britts coming." Santana shooed them out of her room and closed the door behind them.

They drove down to town and Rachel staked out a good spot on the grass that gave a clear view for the fireworks. Kurt and Quinn helped her lay out the blankets and Puck poured their beers into red cups before passing them out. Families and couples started filling in the spaces between them as darkness began to fall.

With a loud crack, the first firework went off, drawing everybody's attention. Quinn pulled Rachel back against her chest and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, holding her tightly as colors exploded across the dark sky.

As the final display was going off, Rachel turned, her lips brushing against the shell of Quinn's ear.

"I can't wait to fuck you hard tonight," she drawled, her voice deep with lust. Quinn's eyes darkened immediately and she captured Rachel's lips as the fireworks exploded behind the lids of her closed eyes.


	55. Chapter 55

**Ahh we're very quickly approaching the end of this insanely long fic. Right now, I'm thinking probably three more chapters. Enjoy **

**Chapter 55**

It took exactly four minutes for Quinn to get them all off the blanket and packed up and another seven minutes until she was tearing up the gravel driveway leading to the house. The boys were drunk in the backseat and Quinn didn't even wait for them to get out of the car to drag Rachel into the house and up into their bedroom.

There was music blasting from Santana and Brittany's room through the wall and Quinn didn't even bother pressing play on Rachel's iPod in the dock before pulling the brunette down on top of her on their bed. Their kisses were frantic, heated and messy. Quinn's hands took purchase in the long locks, holding Rachel tight against her as her tongue pushed through and deepened their kiss.

Rachel gave a small moan at the feeling of Quinn's fingernails scraping against her scalp and the warmth of her tongue sliding against her own tongue. Her hips rocked into Quinn's thigh, desperate for more contact. Quinn took the movement and mimicked it, finding a rhythm to match Rachel's. Rachel pulled away just enough to tear her dress over her head before collapsing back down onto Quinn.

Rachel moved her mouth down to Quinn's jaw, kissing and nipping her way down onto neck. Quinn moaned under Rachel's ministrations and reached behind Rachel to unclasp her bra. It slid off of her shoulders and Rachel yanked it away, tossing it onto the floor next to the bed. Quinn's hands slid over exposed flesh, finding pebbled nipples and tweaking them softly. She felt Rachel's moan vibrate against her throat, causing her to start rocking harder against the brunette.

Quinn pushed Rachel onto the bed and pulled her own sundress off before taking over on top, her hands running over toned abs and the swells of Rachel's breasts. The brunette yanked at the clasp of Quinn's bra, tossing it away haphazardly and immediately began tugging at Quinn's panties until the blonde paused long enough to shimmy them down her legs and kicking them off of her feet.

"You're beautiful, baby," said Rachel breathlessly, gripping at Quinn's hair and pulling her in for a searing kiss.

Wetness was soaking through Rachel's own panties and she pushed Quinn off to her side so that she could discard them. She jumped up off the bed and sauntered over to her suitcase. Quinn's eyes were glued to her swaying ass and she didn't even notice what Rachel extracted until she was turning to return to the bed.

Her jaw dropped at the sight of the strap-on dangling from Rachel's fingers. Her eyes crept upwards and surveyed Rachel's impish smile and dark, lust-filled eyes. The bed sank as Rachel crawled onto it on her knees and stopped right in front of Quinn. She sat back on her heels and eyed Quinn.

"Do you want to do this?" Rachel asked, holding up the strap-on.

Quinn's cheeks flushed scarlet, though her pupils were blown with desire. She bit her lip in consideration before nodding slightly. Rachel cocked her head, debating whether Quinn was being honest before launching forward to kiss her girlfriend again.

"Help me into this," she husked into Quinn's ear and pressed the strap-on into the blonde's hand.

Quinn took it with a shaky hand and turned it over, assessing all of the straps and Rachel watched her with a bemused smile. The blonde held it out tentatively by the straps, motioning for Rachel to slide into it. She did enthusiastically and let her hands ghost Quinn's. She adjusted and tightened the straps carefully, her fingers lingering on Rachel's bare hips.

Their lips met, moving languidly and with promise against one another. Rachel leaned into her, coaxing her onto her back. She eyed her girlfriend cautiously again as she hovered over her.

"I haven't done this since Puck," whispered Quinn bashfully.

"I'll be slow and gentle," Rachel reassured, moving her hand to stroke the blonde hair. "I love you, Quinn."

"I love you, too."

She moved to align their hips and smiled when Quinn automatically parted her legs. The blonde was biting her lip tightly between her teeth and her gaze stayed steady on Rachel's large brown ones.

Quinn felt the silicone dildo rub lightly against the inside of her thigh and shivered at the foreign sensation. Rachel leaned down to kiss Quinn and reached between them to guide the strap-on into Quinn. She steadied as she got the first inch in, feeling Quinn tense in slight pain. When Quinn relaxed a little bit, Rachel pushed her hips harder against Quinn, filling her up.

She moved slowly, pushing the full length of the dildo in before withdrawing to the tip and thrusting back in. Quinn spread wider for her and wrapped her ankles around Rachel's lower back. Her hands looped around Rachel's neck, pulling the brunette down to her lips again, her breathing going shallow.

"You're amazing," she panted against Rachel's lips, digging her fingernails into the skin of Rachel's bare shoulders. "Fuck me, Rach."

Rachel didn't have to be told twice. She kissed Quinn once more, but then pulled back and pushed Quinn's leg up onto her shoulders, allowing her to thrust even deeper. Quinn was groaning in pleasure beneath her, her hair sticking to the sweat on her forehead. Rachel couldn't remember Quinn ever looking as beautiful as she did right now. She let her hand skim up Quinn's taut abs and her fingers found a pebbled nipple. Rachel rolled it against the pads of her fingers as her hips began to thrust faster, pushing Quinn towards the edge.

Quinn was getting louder and moving her hips up to meet Rachel's thrusts. She tensed beneath Rachel, her back arched in ecstasy as her orgasm overtook her. Rachel kept moving, drawing out every last wave.

She pulled out of Quinn slowly and undid the harness before collapsing on top of her girlfriend. Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist and held her against her as she caught her breath.

"We are definitely doing that again," Quinn said, grinning into Rachel's shoulder.

"I'll pack it when I come visit you in London," Rachel said softly.

"You're coming to London?" Quinn asked excitedly, lifting her head to look into Rachel's chocolate orbs.

"My dads offered to buy me a flight to go over for Thanksgiving break as an early Hanukkah present," she replied with a smile.

~!~!~!~

"I rented a boat!" Puck exclaimed happily, jingling a set of keys from his forefinger.

"You did what?" Rachel asked critically, eying her mohawked friend.

"I've got it for the entire afternoon and it comes with water skis. Let's go!" he said animatedly, shifting his weight impatiently from one foot to the other.

Rachel looked at Quinn, silently conversing with her girlfriend to decide whether she should be getting on a boat driven by Noah Puckerman.

"C'mon Sanny, it'll be super fun!" squealed Brittany as she jumped to her feet.

Santana rolled her eyes and pulled her oversized sunglasses onto her face before pushing herself off the blanket to join her girlfriend.

"It'll be fun, Rach," Finn said with a quirky smile.

Rachel agreed reluctantly, her hand clasped with Quinn's. Puck fist pumped and took off for the dock where a white boat was tied up. They all followed in his wake.

He leapt gracefully from the dock onto the boat and held out his hand to help everybody in. They filed onto the boat and sat down. Finn helped Puck untie the ropes and they pushed away from the dock. Puck turned the key in the ignition and the motor roared to life. They cruised slowly away from the shore and Puck picked up speed when they were out in the open water.

"Who's up first?" Puck asked with a grin, gesturing to the water skis by the stern and the rope with the handle attached.

"Ooohhh me!" squealed Britt.

They took turns speeding along the lake on the water skis with Puck driving the boat in wide circles. The sun was shining brightly and Santana and Quinn laid on the front deck of the boat and worked their tans in between turns, waving at the passing boats of college boys that would whistle to them.

It was a relaxing afternoon of fun on the lake and Quinn's eyes were trained on Rachel, who was dressed in nothing more than a tiny red bikini and was laughing happily with Finn Hudson towards the back of the boat. She scowled when Finn reached over and rested his fingers on Rachel's forearm while she threw her head back in laughter.

"Fucking Hudson," she murmured under her breath, causing Santana to laugh beside her.

"You can't seriously be jealous of Frankenteen," Santana said with a laugh. "I mean, look at him. He's got zero game and Rachel keeps moving away from him slightly."

Quinn observed and notice Rachel's subtle movements to try and stay out of Finn's oafish grip. Santana was right; at least her girlfriend was not falling back into his arms over a couple of half-decent jokes.

The girls made dinner together that night while the boys played video games in the living room. It was nice to have the four of them back together again, dancing around one another and breaking into sing-alongs with Rachel's iPod. Life was simple again; there wasn't school or distance or pressure of any kind to get in the way of their friendship.

Brittany was looking thinner from dancing and living on the road. Her skin was light from lack of sunlight and her hair was dyed even blonder than its natural color and fell long and straight down her back.

Santana looked absolutely vibrant. She had basically kept skin contact with Brittany the entire time since Britt had shown up the night before. The Latina was glowing with a nice summer tan and shiny black hair, but happiness shined through her eyes like Quinn had never seen before. There was no doubt that it was due to Brittany's return.

It was Rachel that she kept being drawn back to though. The tiny brunette was flitting around the kitchen overseeing the preparation of dinner but she looked happy, like she was still surprised that the three most popular girls in their year at McKinley were now her best friends. Her voice rang through as she sang along to each and every song, only breaking to give direction on making dinner. Her sun-kissed legs extended out of a pair of tiny navy blue shorts, leaving Quinn to admire every toned inch of them. She had never imagined that Rachel Berry would be the girl of her dreams.

Dinner was a relaxed affair and Kurt convinced them to watch a sappy rom-com afterwards, causing Santana, Puck, and Finn to make up their own drinking game to it. Halfway in, they were shitfaced and giggly messes. Blaine sat across the room from Kurt, but his gaze kept falling on his perfectly coiffed ex-boyfriend rather than the TV screen. Brittany was on Quinn's left side, completely enamored with the movie and leaning her head against Quinn's shoulder.

Rachel's touch was much more distracting as she caressed the back of Quinn's hand, her hair tickling Quinn's thighs from where her head lay in Quinn's lap. She was warm against Quinn, but she didn't mind despite the hot August night. She only had a few more days of feeling Rachel against her in the flesh until she flew off to London for four months. Every moment counted.

When the movie ended, Quinn deposited a sleepy Brittany into Santana's drunken arms and frog marched the two of them up to their bedroom. The door slammed behind them and Quinn heard the unmistakable noise of someone's back being thrust up against the wood. She rolled her eyes and went downstairs to help Rachel clean up the collection of empty beer bottles. The boys called their goodnights and disappeared to their respective bedrooms.

"Walk with me," said Rachel, moving to wrap her arms around Quinn's waist from behind and standing on her tiptoes in order to talk into Quinn's ear.

Quinn nodded mutely, turning to drop a chaste kiss onto Rachel's lips and taking her hand. They slipped out the front door and headed down towards the water's edge.

The silence was welcome. Nobody was on the lake at this late hour and the only light came from the moon. The sounds of wildlife emerged from the foliage and blended into a peaceful background soundtrack. Rachel's fingers were linked through Quinn's in a perfect contrast of tan and pale.

"I don't want this week to ever end," said Rachel, breaking the silence ten minutes later. Quinn slowed to look at her girlfriend.

"But there's so much ahead of us still, Rach."

"Yeah I know, but life is so simple when we're out here. It's the only time all year that I don't worry about schoolwork or Broadway or my dads or how you are in New Haven. I don't worry about the future or relive the past. Here, it's just all of us together with none of the drama or stress. I wish it could always be like this."

"Well, we're going to come back every summer. Even if our friends fade from tradition, you and I will always come back to the lake. Someday we can bring our kids and show them where we first fell in love."

Rachel turned to look at her with adoring eyes.

"You want kids?" she asked quietly.

"Of course I do. I mean, I have Beth already, but when I'm actually ready to be a mom I'd love to have some of my own."

Rachel kissed her, immediately wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck and pulling her flush against her thin frame.

"I don't think I could possibly love you more than I already do, Quinn Fabray."

"I love you too, Rach. I will forever as long as you let me."

They decided to turn back and walked along the water's edge. Their bodies were filled with promise of a lasting future, one that they could build together. Quinn was going to London to figure out her dreams. Rachel was ready to take New York stages, particularly Broadway, by storm. Their dreams were individual, but their drive and their passion was intertwined in a way only love could allow it to be.

Rachel stripped down in their bedroom and crawled into the bed, beckoning Quinn to join her. She followed suit and wrapped her girlfriend tightly in her arms, holding her and listening to her breathing as she drifted off to sleep. She kissed Rachel's soft hair before giving herself over to sleep.

Santana and Brittany were missing from breakfast the next morning, though Quinn had learned her lesson about interrupting them in a bedroom before and decided it was in everybody's best interest to leave them locked up in there. She instead dragged Rachel down to the lake with her, leaving the boys to fend for themselves.

It was slightly overcast and Quinn happily laid next to Rachel, her nose stuck into her newest book. Rachel had her ear buds planted in her ears and was listening to some musical soundtrack at full blast beside her. It was soothing to have Rachel beside her as she spent the day lounging. The days like this were what she would miss when she left for London.

They had fallen into a routine together for the past three months. Even during the school year, they had gotten into the habit of video chatting while they did mundane things just so they could feel like they were actually spending time together. But everything would be harder with an ocean between them and the time zone difference. There wouldn't be bi-weekly weekend visits filled with take-out and tons of bad movies that they never finished.

Quinn had to keep reminding herself that London was worth it; that it was four months of getting to explore and find her own passions beyond Rachel. Her girlfriend had dreamt about her future since she was old enough to say 'Broadway' but Quinn had always held a dose of unworthiness. She wasn't as perfect as Frannie and had made a million mistakes that caused her time to be spent fixing them rather than dreaming of what the future could hold. For as long as she could remember, she felt like she was destined to end up in Lima forever like her mother had, catering to some man and taking care of their children while never being completely happy.

Yale had gotten her away from that, but had only added more options to consider for her future. Was photography really a feasible option for her future? Could she support Rachel and their kids on work that wasn't guaranteed to be steady when Rachel would be working a career that was even unsteadier? Would they be able to make their differences in dreams fit together snugly? There was just so much uncertainty in their future and London was the overhead looming cloud.

"You look worried about something," Rachel observed, leaning over to push Quinn's aviators up off of her eyes and gazing into the hazel orbs.

"I don't want London to ruin us. No matter what, you're my top priority, Rach. Even if I love Europe and photography and they offer me a chance to stay there forever, it would mean nothing if I was away from you."

"Yale needs you too much for you to leave forever," Rachel joked, trying to lighten Quinn's mood. "And I'll be here waiting for you with open arms, whether it's four months from now or more. You're worth the wait, Quinn."

"You shouldn't have to wait for me just because I decided to go to London to find myself without really considering how it might affect you."

"But I will and I'm going to. You can't tether yourself to one place when you don't know what you really want to get out of life."

"I do know what I want. I want you, Rachel."

"And I love you for that, but you need to want something that is distinctly your own too. That's what London is for. I'll be here when you get back."

"I'm sorry that I'm being weird about all of this; I just haven't let myself think about the pros and cons of going abroad for an entire semester."

"It's okay to let me be the strong one sometimes," Rachel said quietly, wiping a stray tear from Quinn's cheek and giving her a reassuring smile.

~!~!~!~

"You're so romantic," Rachel said happily as they walked into the restaurant where they had their first date a year ago. The hostess led them out onto the deck and it was just as perfect as Rachel remembered it with the view over the lake and the classical music flowing softly from hidden speakers.

A bottle of wine was chilling on the table where they had sat last year and Quinn moved forward to pull Rachel's chair out for her. Rachel gave her a warm smile and settled down. Quinn walked to the other side of the table and sat in her own seat, happiness radiating from every pore.

The waitress came over and opened the bottle, pouring a little bit in Quinn's glass and handed it to the blonde. She took it and swirled it like she had watched her parents do thousands of times before taking a sip. With a nod to the waitress, she turned back to face Rachel. Rachel was looking at her with an impressed glance as the waitress poured the wine into their glasses and returned the bottle to the ice bucket before walking away again.

"Have you been hiding the fact that you're a wine snob?" Rachel teased, picking up her glass.

"My parents are and I spent way too much time as a kid at their cocktail parties. You've seen me drink the three dollar bottles of wine that Santana favors so I'm obviously not picky."

Rachel gave a hearty laugh knowing that Quinn was right; the three of them had shared tons of cheap bottles over the past few weeks. Quinn lifted her own glass and gestured it towards Rachel's.

"To many more anniversary dinners at the lake," she said with a sweet smile.

"I'll drink to that!" Rachel said enthusiastically, tapping her glass lightly against Quinn's before taking a deep sip of the dark red elixir.

The waitress returned to take their orders and Quinn rattled off both of their orders with grace, leaving Rachel beaming across from her. Quinn taking charge was always a turn on, even outside of the bedroom. With anybody else she would have protested, lecturing him or her about feminism and her ability to speak for herself. But Quinn knew her well enough to order exactly what she was craving and did it with such ease and confidence, as if she didn't have to give her selections a second thought.

They talked through the appetizer, main course, dessert and a second bottle of wine. The sun set as they sat there too absorbed in one another to even notice. Since Brittany's emotionally charged arrival in New York, they hadn't gotten much time completely to themselves. Quinn had signed the credit card receipt a long time ago, but they sat and sipped on their glasses of wine, just enjoying every minute of each other's company.

It was late when they got back to the house and their friends had built a small bonfire on the sand by the lake. Their laughter drifted up to the lake house intertwined with shouting and the clinking of glass beer bottles. Rachel took Quinn's hand and dragged her down the gravel driveway and onto the cool sand towards their friends.

Puck had dragged down a big cooler full of drinks and there was a small radio perched on a blanket next to Blaine. Santana's fingers were laced with Brittany's as they gazed over the crackling fire.

"Here's to always being together, no matter how far," said Kurt, lifting his pink wine cooler up for the toast.

Finn handed Rachel a wine cooler and Quinn a beer. They raised their bottles with their friends and took a long swig before settling down on the blanket next to Blaine.

"Do you think we'll always be friends?" Puck said, trying to hide the vulnerability from his eyes.

"I hope so," spoke up Rachel, catching Santana's eye and smiling. "I always hoped for friends like you all and now that we're friends I don't want to ever lose you."

"Like you'd ever let yourself lose us, Berry. I'm pretty sure you have a rotating calendar for your correspondence. I've never met someone so freakishly good at keeping in touch," teased Santana.

Rachel blushed. She had made it a priority to at least send a Facebook message to each of her glee club friends once a week since she had left for New York. Santana was one of the few people that took the time to respond each and every week without fail.

"Someone had to do it," shrugged Quinn. "It's thanks to Rachel that we got the lake house again this summer."

"You're the one abandoning us all for Europe," added Kurt, causing Quinn to quirk her eyebrow at him.

"I'm not abandoning anybody. I'll be back in Lima for winter break just like everybody else."

"So you say now, hotshot photographer," said Puck, shrugging at the blonde.

"Well, I would put money on the fact that I'll be sitting in this spot a year from now with all of you no matter how epically famous I become by then."

"That sounds like a fair deal," said Blaine, giving her a warm grin and bumping his shoulder against hers.

The fire slowly burned itself out as they sat and talked. In three days, they would all return to their separate lives. For now, they could live in their isolated bubble of being young and carefree.


	56. Chapter 56

**an: Life is getting in the way of writing wayyyy too often lately. Sorry that it has been taking so long, especially with the end so close. Thanks for sticking with me :)**

**Chapter 56**

"Quinn, wake up," whispered Rachel, running her fingers along Quinn's cheekbone in a gentle caress.

She took in the natural beauty of a sleeping Quinn Fabray. Her face was soft and devoid of the worry lines that often showed around her furrowed brow. The dark sheets were twisted around her naked body, porcelain skin in beautiful contrast. Rachel had always known Quinn was a pretty girl, but seeing Quinn like this was a whole new level of beauty.

Quinn stirred at Rachel's touch along her collarbone and yawned widely before moving to cuddle into the warm body beside her.

"Rach, it's still dark out," whined Quinn softly, one eyelid peeking open to glance around the dim room.

"I know, but don't you want to watch a romantic sunrise with me overlooking the lake?" asked Rachel, determined to get Quinn out of bed for this excursion. She peppered Quinn's cheek and ear with feather light kisses.

Quinn yawned again and moved to stretch her limbs.

"Is there a big thermos of coffee involved?" she asked, knowing she'd give into Rachel's plan no matter what anyway.

"Of course!" Rachel said excitedly, kissing Quinn's lips and then leaping out of the bed to get the coffee going.

Quinn dragged her tired body into the en suite and splashed water on her face. She pulled back her hair in a messy ponytail and brushed her teeth. On her way out of the room, she grabbed Rachel's Wicked sweatshirt from the back of the chaise lounge and pulled it over her head.

Rachel was standing by the front door, a huge thermos of coffee cradled in her arms and a gigantic grin painted on her face as she sees Quinn descend down the oversized staircase. Quinn walked directly towards her and kissed Rachel lightly on the lips before allowing herself to be led out the front door.

Dew covered the grass in the front of the porch and Quinn laced her fingers with Rachel's as they shuffled down the path. It felt like the rest of the world was invisible in the quiet morning, the only sound being the crunching of the gravel under their sneakers. Rachel led the way of her normal running route. A comfortable silence lingered between them as they walked and Quinn enjoyed the peace and serenity that pre-dawn was offering.

They stopped at the top of the hill in a clearing overlooking the lake. The edge of the horizon was just starting to lighten with the rising sun. Quinn sat on a large rock and pulled Rachel between her legs so that her chest was pressed against Rachel's back.

The sun slowly crept over the horizon painting the sky in beautiful hues of oranges and pinks. Rachel sighed with content and twisted to look at Quinn. The blonde was staring off over the water, her fingertips dancing along Rachel's arms gently. Her whole body was relaxed in a way that Rachel had rarely seen her.

"You're beautiful," Rachel breathed, her eyes fixated on her girlfriend.

"You sure like to remind me," Quinn joked, turning to face Rachel. She kissed her softly, letting her lips linger on Rachel's own. "Now how about some of that coffee I was bribed with?"

Rachel giggled and scooted out of Quinn's arms to retrieve the thermos. She carried it back over and screwed off the top, pouring Quinn a cupful and then settling back into the blonde's arms.

"I wish life could always be this simple," she said quietly as Quinn sipped. "I wish everything else in the world didn't have to get in the way of us being together with no other worries."

"Are we talking about the ocean I'm putting between us again?" Quinn asked quietly.

"Let's not talk at all," Rachel whispered. She surged forward and met Quinn's lips before the blonde could protest.

The house was still quiet when they returned, clothes disheveled and dirty from making out on the ground. Rachel took to the kitchen to make them breakfast.

Quinn sat in the living room; her book open in her lap but her attention was fixated on Rachel's voice wafting out as she happily sung a song from Wicked. Cabinets slammed and pans rattled on the stove in the background and every once in a while she could catch a glimpse of Rachel reaching onto a high shelf, her t-shirt riding up to expose a sliver of toned stomach.

"God, you're pathetic," laughed Santana, standing at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed.

Quinn broke her stare to turn, slightly ashamed, towards her best friend. Santana crossed the room and collapsed onto the couch with Quinn.

"You making me some awful vegan grub, Berry?" called Santana. Rachel stuck her head out the doorway to stick her tongue out childishly.

Santana laughed again, her body relaxed and leaning into Quinn's shoulder.

"Somebody got up on the right side of the bed for once," joked Quinn, nudging Santana over on the couch.

"Shut up," retorted Santana, unable to hide her grin. Quinn raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, okay. Things are freaking amazing with Britt back."

Quinn watched the happiness emanate off of her best friend. Having Santana in New York had been a blast, but there was no doubt that she was at her happiest when Brittany was around.

"Did you give her the promise ring yet?" Quinn asked.

"I'm doing it tonight. I thought we'd have a picnic and watch the sunset and all of that romantic shit."

"Awww" teased Quinn.

"Breakfast is ready!" called Rachel from the kitchen.

The smell of her vegan pancakes wafted through as she carried a steaming platter of them to the dining room table. Quinn pushed Santana back onto the couch as she tried to get up, laughing at Santana's annoyed glare before stopping in the kitchen to get her coffee and joining Rachel at the table.

Santana followed shortly behind and took a huge swig of her coffee before loading her plate with a stack of pancakes and drowning them in maple syrup. Rachel gave her a disgusted look, which just made Quinn laugh again.

Brittany came skipping down the stairs, humming some unknown tune. She was absolutely glowing and happily plopped down at the table next to Santana and leaning over to give her girlfriend a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"What are we doing today?" she asked, choosing to eat pieces of pancake off of Santana's plate instead of getting her own.

"We were thinking about having a quiet day at the lake," responded Quinn. She glanced at Rachel for approval, who immediately nodded.

"Sanny can we go horseback riding? Pleaseee."

Quinn choked on her bite of pancake as she snorted. Santana looked completely stunned by the request.

"Uh, B, I don't know how to ride a horse," she stuttered, immediately stuffing her mouth full of pancake to further delay the conversation.

"It's easy and they have people to help you and we can make sure you get a pretty little horse so you're not too scared."

Enthusiasm was emanating off of Britt. Quinn couldn't help but laugh aloud at this point. Santana looked absolutely miserable at the prospect of climbing onto a sweaty horse when she could be lying on the sand working on her tan. She glared furiously at Quinn, who just continued to laugh directly at her.

"We could always join them," deadpanned Rachel, squeezing Quinn's knee beneath the table.

"You're joking," Quinn pleaded, her amusement instantly demolished. Rachel's face lit up with a grin.

"Of course I am. Have fun, Santana. We'll be catching some rays by the lake if you need us."

With that, Rachel stood and collected the dishes before disappearing into the kitchen. Quinn chuckled at the anger radiating from her best friend before following Rachel.

Half an hour later, Quinn giggled at the sounds coming through the bedroom wall. It seemed as though Santana was trying to distract Brittany from horseback riding by offering alternative entertainment. Rachel groaned loudly at the moans that were steadily increasing in volume and the rhythmic thump as their headboard smacked against the wall.

Rachel finished packing her beach bag as quickly as possible and frog marched Quinn out of the room and past the loud encounter. Santana's voice rang out in a strangled moan, which causes Rachel to walk faster, determined to get as far away as possible.

The beach is empty when they walk down, so they pick a prime spot and lay their blanket out. It's slightly overcast, but still nice enough to enjoy the day. Rachel pulls her headphones and iPod from her bag and immediately shoved one of the buds in her ear, offering the other to Quinn. She took it and stuck it in her own ear. They laid on the blanket with their heads close together as Rachel pressed play.

Music flowed through them. It was a soft piano melody and Quinn closed her eyes, allowing the sound and Rachel's sweet perfume wash over her senses. This was the epitome of vacation in her opinion.

"Is there anything special you want to do before you go to England?" Rachel asked when the song tapered out until it disappeared altogether.

"I think a New York bagel and a lazy day curled up with my beautiful girlfriend is all I need."

Rachel smiled sadly, obviously thinking about how soon they would be fulfilling that wish.

"Nothing special? Are you sure?" she asked again, cocking her head slightly to survey Quinn.

"How many times do I have to deal you that you are something special until you believe me. I only care about spending time with you because you are the only thing I'm going to miss about New York."

Rachel glanced away sheepishly. She should be used to Quinn's blunt statements about her feelings for her. It had been this way since the beginning: Quinn confessing her love, Quinn giving her huge romantic gestures, Quinn making her feel like she was the most important person in the world. God, she was going to miss her so much.

~!~!~!~

The boys were already passed out from a long night of drinking. Quinn was just too wired to sleep and instead found herself wedged on Santana and Brittany's bed between Brittany and Rachel. She was happily buzzed having drank cheap beer and even cheaper wine for the majority of the night. Their limbs were intertwined and heat radiated off their alcohol-soaked bodies. Rachel giggled into her shoulder at some ridiculous observation Santana made and the sound made Quinn feel butterflies through her abdomen.

In retrospect, high school had sucked. She had to constantly worry about her social status, whether it was pushing others down to stay on top or clawing her way back up from her fall from grace. The only good thing that had come out of those four years of hell was her friends.

She had managed to survive and was surrounded by people she knew she would love forever. Rachel Berry was curled into her side and the slightest brush of skin on her own warm flesh ignited her with a fire she had never felt with anybody else. Santana protected her fiercely, even from 3,000 miles away. Brittany was always her soother; the person who could make her see reason against all odds. And in the deepest part of her heart, she knew that she made up a little piece of them as well.

"God, I'm so glad we got out of Lima," giggled Santana as they reminisced about another horrible moment from high school. "Seriously, I couldn't have lasted another year in that dump."

"We've always been destined for greater things," stated Rachel confidently, her eyes clouding over with the thoughts of her own lofty dreams.

"You have at least," mumbled Santana back. "Some of us are still trying to figure that part out."

"Quinn is published in magazines, Brittany has been dancing on an international tour, you're crushing your classes at UCLA, and I'm out-performing my classmates on a regular basis. If that's not destined for success, then I don't know what is," replied Rachel seriously, her eyes locked on Santana.

"I'm just another college kid. There's nothing special about that."

"Well then find a way to be something special. Do you even know what you want to do?"

"I always though law or PR would be pretty badass I guess," responded Santana after a moment of deliberation. "Would you hire me to be your rep when all of Broadway is fighting for you?"

"In a heartbeat," replied Rachel without a second of hesitation. "You're like the scariest person I know; nobody would every try to mess with me."

"Plus, you'd be in New York," added Quinn, thinking about how much fun they had this summer when she was staying there.

"I could totally dance in New York!" exclaimed Brittany happily.

"So it's a deal. When we all graduate and shit, we'll take on the world together from New York."

Santana held out her pinky and Brittany immediately latched her own onto it before looking purposefully at Quinn and Rachel. They moved their own hands toward them until all of their pinkies were linked awkwardly between them.

"Best friends forever!" squealed Brittany, leaning over to lightly kiss Santana's cheek.

"God, we're so fucking lame," laughed Santana, allowing their hands to fall away from one another again.

They laid back in silence for another few minutes. It was just before four in the morning, but nobody felt like going to sleep and letting this night end. It would be their last one together for months.

"Quinn, you should totally take pictures of us!" said Brittany excitedly, pulling herself into a sitting position. I saw those photos in Cosmo; you can totally make us look sexy as hell.

"I don't know, I had professional equipment for those shots, B," she said sheepishly.

"Stop being modest. You're a fucking superstar. Now go get your camera because you'd be an idiot to not take pictures of someone as hot as B," Santana ordered, shoving Quinn towards the edge of the bed.

Santana didn't leave her much of a choice so she stumbled over to her and Rachel's bedroom to grab her camera bag. When she returned, Santana and Brittany were making out rather intensely while Rachel looked on, her hand lightly brushing Brittany's side. If Quinn hadn't been so focused on Rachel's legs, she might have noticed how blown her girlfriend's pupils were.

"Seriously? I left for two minutes!" Quinn said, exasperated. She unzipped her bag and extracted her camera.

"Two minutes too long, my friend," teased Santana, rolling off of Brittany in the process.

Quinn took a couple of test shots while she adjusted the settings. She knew they weren't going to be great considering how fuzzy her head still felt from the alcohol. Rachel watched in reverence as Quinn set up her camera; watching her when she was so focused was always mesmerizing.

"I think we should turn off the lights so we don't have to see your ugly mug, S," Quinn joked, creeping towards the bed with her camera in hand.

"Shove off and start working, Fabray," Santana responded, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

Quinn started shooting as soon as she reached the bed, taking advantage of their candid position. Rachel was leaning her head against Brittany's shoulder whose head was thrown back in laughter and Santana was giving Quinn an award-winning smirk. Even with little adjustment to her focus, she knew that it encompassed the true nature of the people she loved the most.

The next hour flew by with the three of them taking turns posing while Quinn clicked away, laughing at their ridiculousness.

"We need one of the four of us," Brittany stated, giving Quinn a pointed look. Quinn pressed the buttons until the camera was set on automatic timer, set it on the dresser and then jumped onto the bed, pressing her shoulder against Santana's as they squeezed in. The flash went off and she smiled in complete happiness.

Quinn woke the next morning with her neck stiff and her head pounding. She was curled between Rachel and Santana having fallen asleep with them in the early hours of the morning. Santana had an arm draped around her waist, holding her tightly as her chest slowly rose and fell with the rhythm of her sleep.

It wasn't how she had planned to spend her last night at the lake house, but the feel of Rachel's soft hair tickling her cheek and the warmth of Santana against her side made her feel loved and content.

~!~!~!~

The morning was filled with packing up the cabin. It was the mark of the end of another summer. Rachel could feel the future creeping up on her every minute. She couldn't help but have a mental countdown until Quinn would be heading to London, until she would be back in New York with just Kurt. Sophomore year at NYADA was just over a week away from starting.

Quinn took forever to pack while Rachel was quick and efficient. The brunette bounced impatiently on the bed while Quinn meticulously folded each item of clothing and squished them into her already overstuffed duffel bag. She watched the blonde's strong arms push down on the clothes in order to shove yet another pair of shoes into it.

"Are you almost done?" she whined, swinging her feet over the side of the bed and letting her long hair fall in a dark curtain around her face. Quinn looked up and gave a genuine smile in Rachel's direction.

"It's funny that now when you whine I find it endearing," she said with a giggle. She dropped the shoes onto the floor next to the bag abandoned and sauntered over to the bed.

"It's just because you finally got your head out of your ass and realized that I'm beautiful, charming, and incredibly talented."

"I always knew you were incredibly talented from the first time I heard you open your mouth."

Rachel radiated with happiness at Quinn's simple declaration and she reached forward to pull Quinn down to her level. Quinn stumbled forward and allowed herself to fall to her knees on the floor in front of Rachel. Their lips met in a sweet and tender kiss with Rachel's hand planted firmly on the back of Quinn's head, holding her in place.

"I need to pack, Rach," Quinn mumbled against Rachel's lips, her own curling into a little smile.

"But packing means we're leaving and I don't wanna," whined Rachel, pulling back to rest her forehead against Quinn's and allowing her lips to curl into a perfect pout.

"We've still got a week of fun," Quinn said, leaning forward to peck Rachel before pulling herself to her feet and walking back to her bags. Rachel didn't protest and let Quinn finish up her packing.

"There's still an hour before we're due to leave," Rachel said, glancing down at her cell phone. "Brittany and Santana sound busy." She nodded in the direction of their bedroom wall where it was obvious that their friends were getting busy on the other side of.

"Let's take a walk," suggested Quinn, cocking her head towards the door. Rachel agreed and followed her from the room.

Quinn allowed Rachel to lead the way up the trail to the clearing where they had watched the sunrise a few mornings ago. The August humidity hung thickly in the air and Quinn could feel the droplets of sweat dripping down her back. Rachel's hand was sweating in hers, but she didn't want to let go.

They sat on one of the big rocks and looked out over the dark blue lake. It was serenity at its best and a drastic change from the sound of traffic outside of Rachel's New York apartment. Quinn tugged Rachel into her lap despite the heat and held her tightly.

"I have something for you," Quinn said quietly, her lips brushing against Rachel's neck tenderly.

"Oh?" Rachel asked excitedly. She turned to look into Quinn's hazel eyes.

Quinn shifted Rachel on her lap so that she could reach into the pocket of her shorts. She extracted a thin velvet box and handed it to Rachel with a nervous smile.

"It's not as fancy as Santana's promise ring for Britt, but I just wanted you to have something before I went away." Rachel surged forward and kissed her before flipping the box open.

A simple silver necklace was tucked into the interior. There was a musical note encrusted with a small diamond on the smooth chain. Rachel pulled it carefully from the box and held it out in front of her.

"Oh, Quinn, it's perfect," she whispered, her eyes glued to the diamond sparkling in the early afternoon sunlight. "Put it on me."

Quinn smiled happily and took the necklace from Rachel. The brunette swept her hair up to allow Quinn to fix the clasp around her neck. The music note fell onto her chest, the metal cool against her heated skin. She released her hair and placed her hands on Quinn's cheeks instead, pulling the blonde into her.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she whispering, her lips brushing against the shell of Quinn's ear, leaving light kisses in their wake.

"Let's not talk about it," Quinn pleaded and turned to capture Rachel's lips against hers again.

She pored her emotions and promises into the kiss. Rachel gasped as she lightly bit on her lower lip, which Quinn used to give her access to Rachel's mouth. She ran her tongue languidly over Rachel's, moving in a rhythm that had become second nature over the past year.

Minutes slipped away as they stayed intertwined on the hill overlooking the lake where it had all began. Feeling Quinn pressed against her let Rachel stop counting down until her girlfriend would be leaving. With Quinn, it felt like time stood still.

Quinn finally pulled away and tenderly tucked Rachel's hair behind her ear, allowing her fingertips to brush along Rachel's jaw. Rachel's eyes were dark with lust and she kept her hands clasped around Quinn's neck and a hint of a smile ghosted on her lips.

"We need to get back, it's almost time to leave."

Rachel pouted unhappily, not wanting to leave their little bubble. She leaned forward and kissed Quinn again to try and stall her.

"Baby, you know that Santana would totally try to leave without us if given the chance," Quinn said, pulling back and nudging Rachel to her feet.

Rachel whimpered in protest but allowed Quinn to take her hand and they walked side-by-side back down the path to the lake house.

The boys had their car already packed up and Finn and Puck were tossing a football back and forth in the driveway. Blaine was helping Brittany and Santana lug their suitcases into the back of Quinn's SUV. Rachel kissed Quinn's cheek and skipped over to Kurt, who was lounging on the porch swing watching Puck and Finn act like children. Quinn walked into the house to start loading their bags into the car as well.

Within half an hour the cars were all loaded and the house locked up. Quinn set up her camera and pressed the autotimer before jogging back to the steps and sliding in next to Rachel. The flash went off, capturing their smiles in front of the house. She checked the picture on the digital screen before nodding to them that it was a good shot.

They hugged one another's shoulders on the front porch, not wanting the moment to end. It felt like just yesterday they were standing here before leaving for college and beginning their new lives as high school graduates. Now they were heading into their second year of pursuing their futures and Quinn could actually see where the future seemed to be leading her.

She hugged Blaine tightly and wished him luck in California and watched as Finn's face fell at the prospect of returning to his base. Puck gave her a wet kiss on her cheek and spun her around, his face alight with happiness and finally having a future to look forward to. Brittany and Santana were still wrapped around one another on the front steps.

Eventually they finally piled in their cars and headed back in the direction of Lima. Quinn stopped at the airport before reaching town to let Brittany catch her flight to rejoin the tour for the final leg. Brittany hugged her and Rachel fiercely before turning to connect her lips to Santana. Quinn couldn't help but pull out her phone and snap a picture of them hugging on the sidewalk in front of the airport terminal. Finding love like that should be documented.

Santana had tears streaming down her face by the time she climbed back into the car. Quinn and Rachel knew better than to talk about it, so instead they turned up the radio and passed Santana the giant bag of snacks they had picked up at a gas station 50 miles ago.

It was dusk by the time they hit the Lima city limits and they were exhausted from the trip. Quinn dropped Santana off at her parents' house while agreeing to meet for breakfast before they went their separate ways. They headed back to Quinn's house where her mom, Ted, and Rachel's dads were waiting for them to have dinner.

Dinner was a happy affair. Judy's new engagement ring glistened even in the low lighting, but even that didn't compare to the happiness clearly radiating from her entire body. Ted sat quietly next to her, their hands constantly touching and his eyes looking at Judy in complete adoration.

The Berry men were jovial as always and Quinn felt so happy to have a place that really felt like a home again in Lima. They ate until they physically couldn't anymore despite how good Judy's peach pie was.

"I think it's time for gifts," declared Judy after making sure everybody had a refill on their coffee.

"It's not a holiday, why are we doing presents?" Quinn asked, looking at Rachel to see if she was just as confused. She was.

"My baby is going across an ocean for the next four months. I'm allowed to spoil her now," Judy replied, pulling a box from underneath her chair and handing it to Quinn. "Consider it your first of many care packages."

Quinn ripped the paper away and lifted the lid of the box. Nestled inside the tissue paper were a variety of items. A navy blue cable knit sweater, small boxes of Lucky Charms, a bag of Werther's Original butterscotch candies, and a camera lens.

"Mom, this is way too much," she said quietly, fingers stroking against the soft sweater that was holding the very expensive lens.

"Nonsense. You're going to London to study photography and you should have the best tools for the job. The guy in the store said this is a top of the line lens for the camera you already have. Plus Ted tells me you can't get Lucky Charms over there and you'll be going through withdrawal and I know how many Werther's you go through on a flight when you're nervous."

"Thanks, Mom," Quinn said genuinely, getting up to give her mother a hug.

"My pleasure, dear."

"I think that makes it my turn," said Ted with a warm smile, lifting a smaller box from his lap and handing it to Quinn.

She pulled the card off the of the top first and read it silently to herself.

_Quinn,_

_I wish you all the best on your adventures. I hope you learn something new every day, but that you also take the time to experience the world. Have a wonderful trip._

_Love, Ted_

She looked up and gave him a smile that reached her eyes before she tore open the package. Inside were an empty photo album and a new leather-bound journal.

"I wanted to make sure that you'd document the trip so you'd always have the memories," he said. "I've already seen what a talented photographer you are, but I hear you have the potential to be quite the novelist as well."

"Thanks, Ted," she said, getting up again to give him a hug.

"It's finally our turn!" exclaimed Leroy excitedly, nudging Hiram to hand her the present. It was just a simple envelope with both her and Rachel's names scrawled across the front of it.

Rachel looked excited at seeing her own name and she leaned into Quinn's shoulder as the blonde pried the envelope open. She pulled out the card and began to read.

_To our favorite daughters,_

_Rachel has already requested a round-trip ticket to London for an early Hanukkah present, so you'll find that ticket included. However, we thought since we couldn't all be together for Thanksgiving, the two of you should have an opportunity to see the world together._

_Love always, Dad and Daddy Berry_

Rachel grabbed the card out of Quinn's hands to extract the other envelope taped to the inside of the card.

"Two plane tickets from London to Paris for while I'm visiting!" Rachel squealed happily, thrusting the tickets into Quinn's face. "The city of love, Quinn!"

She jumped out of her seat and hugged her dads tightly. Quinn followed, albeit a little more calmly.

"Who knows when you'll have a chance to be in Europe again so take advantage of it while you can," Hiram said, holding Quinn on one side and Rachel on the other.

"Thanks, guys," Quinn said, nuzzling into his shoulder.

Quinn and Rachel said goodnight to the Berry men as they left with the promise that they would stop by in the morning before they returned to New York. They helped Judy and Ted clean up the dishes before slipping up to Quinn's bedroom.

Quinn rummaged through her stuff to find two pairs of sleep shorts and t-shirts for them. She tossed a set towards Rachel on the bed before slipping out of her clothes and into her own set. Rachel slipped her blouse and bra off and pulled the t-shirt over her head with Quinn's eyes glued to her. She gave Quinn an impish grin before sliding her skirt down her legs and letting it pool at her feet. Quinn's mouth went dry at the sight of bare legs and Rachel standing there in her Quinn's Yale t-shirt and her thong.

"God, you're beautiful," she said softly, her eyes slowly raking from Rachel's feet to her eyes.

"Better commit it to memory because I'm not as sexy when I'm pixilated over a computer screen with thousands of miles of ocean between us," Rachel said, trying to laugh at her own lame joke.

"You'll always be beautiful to me," Quinn said, moving closer and wrapping her arms around Rachel's waist.

"Come to bed, Quinn Fabray," Rachel mumbled against Quinn's ear before climbing into the bed, leaving the shorts abandoned.


	57. Chapter 57

**AN: This is it. It's been a crazy ride and I can't thank you all enough to taking this journey through my first fic with me. I've left it pretty open in case I ever get the motivation to pick it up with a sequel down the line. Feel free to drop me a message or visit my tumblr (orangeiguanas4) and let me know what you thought! Thanks!**

**Chapter 57**

Newark airport was bustling with people running to flights and people being reunited with loved ones. Quinn stood in line after line to get her boarding pass and check her luggage before finally collapsing into an uncomfortable plastic chair in a waiting area. Rachel sat beside her, running through a checklist to make sure Quinn wasn't forgetting anything essential and continually tapped her pen nervously on the notepad.

"Babe, do you want something to eat? We still have three hours before I need to head to my gate."

Rachel's head shot up from reading the list for a fifth time to glance at Quinn. She looked stunning as usual. Quinn's hair was blonder and her skin was tanner from the week at the lake house. Her nose had a smattering of light freckles and her eyes gleamed with excitement and nervousness. She wore a pair of skinny jeans and a white peasant blouse with a blue scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. Rachel strained her eyes to try and record every detail of the Quinn sitting beside her.

"Rach? Are you hungry?" Quinn asked again, reaching over to run her fingers along Rachel's free hand soothingly.

"Not really," Rachel said, not wanting to waste a single minute with Quinn by searching for something vegan for her to eat.

"Are you just going to sit there and recite your list repeatedly to me then?" Quinn joked, squeezing Rachel's hand playfully.

"Quinn," Rachel whined unhappily. It was hard to be happy when she could literally count the minutes until Quinn would be boarding a plane to Europe.

"Rach, we're stuck in a grimy airport and pretending like I'm not leaving in a few hours."

"God, Quinn, I'm trying."

"I don't want to fight with you, Rachel. I'm merely stating that I'd rather sit and really talk and enjoy your company before I only get it over video chat."

"Fine, what would you like to talk about?" Rachel asked, trying to keep her emotions at bay. She really didn't want to spending the next two hours crying on Quinn's shoulder.

"Remember my first trip to New York?" Quinn asked with reserved smile.

"The one where you nailed me, told me you loved me, then convinced me to be in an exclusive relationship with you? I think it was pretty unforgettable, Quinn," Rachel responded, a hint of annoyance obvious in her tone.

"Well, yes, I suppose those are the highlights as well. I was thinking more about getting to meet your NYADA friends, spending time wandering around the big city together, and having you sing to me at karaoke night," replied Quinn, fiddling with the clasp of the camera bag sitting in her lap.

"What about going to the Yale football game when I visited?" Rachel asked, giving into the idea of reminiscing about their first year together.

"You hate watching football," Quinn said with a laugh.

"I like doing anything if it means I'm with you, Quinn. Plus, because I go to a performing arts college in the middle of a city, visiting you gives me the opportunity to engage in activities that are part of a typical collegiate lifestyle and, therefore, allows me to broaden my experiences so that I can revisit them as needed to make me a successful, well-rounded young actress."

"There's the long-winded Rachel Berry that I know and love," replied Quinn with a toothy grin.

Rachel leaned over, letting her head fall onto Quinn's shoulder. She breathed in deeply, taking in the smell of clean laundry and the faint floral essence of Quinn's perfume. It was a smell that had permeated her bed sheets for the past three months and one that instantly brought her comfort.

"What would you like to see or do in Paris?" Quinn asked, lifting her hand to stroke Rachel's silky hair.

"I just want to see you," said Rachel in a cheesy tone, feeling Quinn's shoulder shake beneath her head from her giggle.

"God, we're so lame," Quinn laughed, wrapping an arm around Rachel's shoulders and pulling her closer. "Paris is supposed to be magical and I'm going to have trouble getting you to leave the hotel room."

"I bet even the hotel room is magical," joked Rachel.

"I can't wait for all the art and the delicious cuisine and the culture," said Quinn brightly, getting lost in her own thoughts.

Rachel just smiled happily. She loved when Quinn's passion spilled out. Quinn had definitely flourished since the rocky days at McKinley.

The board across from them flashed, indicating an update. A gate number lit up next to Quinn's flight. Rachel squeezed her eyes closed to keep from crying. They still had some time before Quinn actually needed to board the flight.

"Rach," Quinn said softly, nudging Rachel's chin up until she was looking into Quinn's hazel eyes. "I'll see you in three months. We'll work out a schedule to chat as often as we can. You're going to have such a busy year between NYADA and those auditions we talked about that you'll be too busy to miss me much anyway."

Rachel gave her an incredulous look and opened her mouth to retort. Quinn surged forward, forcing Rachel to swallow her words and kiss her instead. She pulled away rather quickly, leaving Rachel frowning, and ran gentle fingertips over Rachel's soft cheek and down the line of her jaw.

"I'll miss you every second of every day," Quinn promised and gave Rachel a reassuring peck on the lips. "Now come on, I need your help picking out some trashy magazines to read on the flight."

She pulled Rachel to her feet. They wandered through the newsstand with their hands linked tightly, occasionally pulling a magazine or book from the shelf. Quinn paid for their selections and stowed them away in her backpack for the plane ride. Glancing at her watch, she realized it was time for her to head through the security lines and get to her gate to board. Looking at Rachel, the brunette knew it too.

They walked in silence towards the security line. Quinn could hardly feel her fingers for how tightly Rachel was squeezing them. Rachel's whole body felt tense beside her and she knew that this was going to be one of the hardest things she had to do.

Quinn paused off to the side of the line, wanting a quiet moment with Rachel before she had to join the crowds of people trying to make their flights. The airport was noisy and filled with constant motion all around them, but in that moment all she saw was Rachel.

The brunette was wearing Quinn's Cheerio sweatshirt and a pair of tiny white shorts, her long hair straight and shiny in the fluorescent lighting of the airport. Chocolate brown eyes refused to meet hers as they fought to hold back the tears that were forming there.

"Rach, look at me," she said softly, running her thumb along the back of Rachel's hand soothingly.

Rachel glanced up, tears spilling over and crawling slowly down tanned cheeks. Quinn's own eyes became wet at the sight, her heart aching to not leave her girlfriend alone in an airport in New Jersey. Rachel started sobbing and launched herself into Quinn's arms, letting the blonde stroke her hair and hold her tightly for a few long moments.

"December 20th. Four months and I'll meet you in Ohio and we can have one of those epic airport reunions where I throw all my bags to the ground and we run in slow motion and I pick you up and twirl you around and we kiss and everybody around us sighs with how romantic it is. Then we will finish out Hanukkah with me bringing you eight amazing presents back from London for it plus an extra one so that you can be reminded that I love you and that I thought about you every single day I was gone. We'll have a whole month of just us being together and feeling your heat against me when we cuddle and relearning the butterflies I get everytime your fingers grasp mine and the fireworks I see everytime you kiss. We have forever, Rach."

"Forever?" Rachel sniffled, pulling away to look up into Quinn's eyes.

"And always," Quinn promised.

"I like that," Rachel stated, hugging Quinn tightly, her tears soaking through the front of Quinn's blouse. "I'll be here waiting for you, thinking about you, and missing you like crazy. Take London by storm, baby. I want to be able to brag about my famous girlfriend, the one I was lucky enough to find love in." Her voice was choked in tears and sincerity. Quinn's own tears were falling freely now.

"Love you, Rach," she whispered into brunette hair, kissing Rachel's head softly.

"I love you too." Rachel said, pulling away and pushing herself up onto her toes slightly so that she could meet Quinn's lips.

The airport faded away and she was surrounded with the drug that was Quinn Fabray. Her heart ached horribly, but her body was soaring at Quinn's touch. This was the damage from loving Quinn; it hurt so bad but felt so good. It was inexplicable and overwhelming and she knew that she'd never change it for the world.

Quinn pulled back and gave her one more peck to her forehead before adjusting her backpack straps and walking towards the security checkpoint. It took all of her energy to fight not running back into Rachel's arms. She was looking forward to London and the new experiences, but the ache of leaving Rachel hurt worse than breaking all of her left ribs in the car accident, worse than nightmares that followed for weeks afterwards.

She allowed herself to glance back only once she had passed through the x-ray machines with no chance to return. Rachel was on the other side of the glass, tears streaming down her cheeks, mascara running with it. Yet in the moment, Quinn swore she was looking at the most beautiful girl in the world. She blew Rachel a kiss and wiped the tears from her own eyes before heading towards her gate.

It wasn't a long wait until they were boarding the plane. Quinn stowed her backpack under her seat and buckled her seatbelt as she watched the other patrons settle into their seats. Right before the stewardesses told them to turn off their phones, she tapped out a quick message to Rachel.

**Four months until you're standing right in front of me. You've been right in front of me for so long and I don't ever want to take that for granted. You're the best thing that has ever happened and you're the reason I have the courage to spend a semester so far away. You're my own lucky star.**

She powered down her phone as soon as she saw that the message had been sent and slipped it back into her bag. The sun was setting over New York as they ascended and she looked down upon the place she now considered home. Anywhere Rachel was would always be home.


	58. Epilogue

**I couldn't sleep last night without getting this out there. It wasn't my intention to leave it as open as I did like they were going to have drama in their relationship. Long distance is hard, but true love does make it the distance but it's never an easy road. I guess this is my appreciation for the fact that they can make it through anything and to leave you with the happy ending everybody always wants.**

**Epilogue**

"Are you going to be back in time? Quinn, we've never missed a week at the lake house." Rachel was stomping around the apartment, already half packed for the flight to Ohio this afternoon.

"You can still go and if we wrap early enough then I'll fly in and meet you." Quinn even sounded far away.

"Why is everything always about work?" Rachel whined, watching as their kitten curled herself up on the pile of clothes in the suitcase.

"Says the Broadway star doing eight shows a week," Quinn said with a laugh. "Look, I'm sorry, babe, but I'll be back the second I can. Paris isn't the same without you anyway. Is everybody else going to be there?" she asked, having been a little out of touch with her friends lately.

"Yeah, Finn is bringing his new wife. Even Mercedes is flying in from L.A. You're one of the originals, Quinn, you can't just decide you're not coming at the last minute. It's not fair."

"I'll do my best, Rach. I love you, but I need to go. Have a safe flight and give Mittens a cuddle for me."

"I love you, too," Rachel said quietly right before the line went dead.

~!~!~!~

"God, sometimes you're the most nauseatingly adorable person on the face of the planet," Santana said, taking in their handiwork. Quinn wrapped her arm around Santana's shoulder as the two of them stood in the living room of the lake house.

"It's been six years, San. I think the poor girl has waited long enough for something like this."

"I think buying the lake house was a little more extravagant than even Berry would dream of," Santana chided.

"I'm asking the girl to marry me and I want it to be epic."

"Well, you certainly understand the concept of epic. Congratulations, Q," she said, leaning her head onto Quinn's shoulder.

"Wait and congratulate me after she says yes." The nerves were starting to show. Rachel was due to arrive around dinner time and they had hours to kill before then.

"You're an idiot if you don't think Rachel would say yes even if you proposed while you both sat in a dumpster."

"Well hopefully this is a step up from a dumpster."

Quinn walked out onto the porch and looked out over the lake. She could feel the ring box in her pocket waiting to be opened for Rachel to see. It had taken weeks of secretly shopping while Rachel was at the theater to find the perfect ring. Buying the lake house had been even trickier because she was doing it all over the phone and she would have to screen the calls if Rachel was around so that she would have no idea. A fake work trip to Paris was necessary so that she could fly out here earlier and alone to set up. The hundreds of phone calls amongst their friends and family to make sure that everybody would be here to celebrate was a huge task in itself. But all of it would always be worth it because Rachel was worth everything to her. They had made it through the hardest years of having distance between them, working low-paying jobs just to pay the rent, then getting big breaks and having to deal with their insane work schedules. None of it had been easy, but all of it had been worth it. Because tonight, she would ask Rachel to marry her. Tonight, she'd promise to love never let Rachel go. And hopefully, she would make all of Rachel's dreams come true.


End file.
